Pokémon Konoha
by Sand Fox
Summary: A Naruto/Pokemon crossover.  Your votes decide what happens in story.  Features Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, and Hinata.
1. Intro

**Disclaimer**

Let me just start out with the standard Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, Pokemon, or any of the associated or mentioned franchises/companies, and I am not making a profit on this.

Pokemon Konoha

Intro

This fic is set in the world of Pokemon. The characters are from Naruto, pre-time skip. They will be Pokemon Trainers, not ninja. Also, due to how much more lighthearted the Pokemon series is compared to Naruto, there will be several changes, such as people who died will instead be alive and angsty tragedies will not happen. Par example, the Uchiha clan is not all but destroyed, though Sasuke will still act as he did in the manga for the most part to keep in character. The characters that appeared in the Shippuden series can and will appear in this ark.

I don't plan on having anyone from Pokemon make an appearance, save for _maybe_ Jessie and James. Also, I stopped watching the cartoon when Misty left, and I haven't played anything past Generation III. However, I do know about Pokemon from all generations, and I am willing to use most of them. However, there are some regulations.

_1. No Pokemon from Generations IV and V that evolve into or from a Pokemon from an earlier generation (Electivire, Magmortar, Happiny, exedra). They don't have the same feel as the older Pokemon, and are little more than Min-Maxer fodder in my eyes._

_2. None of the main character will use the Fire Starters from Generation IV and V. They are all useless Fire/Fighting clones of the Torchic line, and have disgraced my favorite element (Charizard all the way!). I will be hard pressed to be persuaded to use the other Starters from that Generation too, but it is possible._

_3. None of the deity legendaries from Generation IV. As my brother put it, Arceus is the Antichrist. It is an insult to all things Holy and many things not._

_4. Trubbish and Garbodor do not exist. At all. That's final._

I'm writing this fic on a lark, mostly. Unless given reason otherwise, it will have no real underling plot, though the chapters are connected. As such, its popularly will determine if I post more chapters.

Also, I think that I'll let you all vote at to what Pokemon the characters will have. You tell me your idea in a review, and I'll think it over. If I like it, I'll post it, giving you due credit. Note that I like explanations as to why a character should have a Pokemon that fits with his or her personality, and not just a generalization. Par Example:

Good Reasoning: "I think Naruto should have a Vulpix eventually because it starts out as a small and fairly normal Pokemon that isn't too powerful, yet with the right training, becomes Ninetales, something powerful, beautiful, and rare; like how Naruto started out as a sub-par ninja but became amazing when others put faith in him. And it mirrors the Kyubi."

Bad Reasoning: "Dude, you should give Naruto a Ninetales. It would be so appropriate because it would be like the Kyubi. LOL."

The current character line up is Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, and Hinata as the main characters that will become a group eventually. I'll admit to being a Naruto/Hinata and Sasuke/Sakura fan, so there will be some romantic hints, but not much else, as they are still 12 years aged at this point.

If you have any ideas or requests for other characters, whether they be gym leaders or trainers or more important characters or have a crush on someone or what else you can think of, please feel free to ask. This fic will be fulled by you all. Thanks for your help. I will try to post the first chapter within the week.

**Question**: _What Pokemon should the main characters (Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, and Hinata) start with? The normal starters are preferred, but not necessary. _


	2. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer**

Let me just start out with the standard Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, Pokémon, or any of the associated or mentioned franchises/companies, and I am not making a profit on this.

The image I am using was made by BlissfulGold on , and I am using it with their permission. Please check out their DeviantART page sometime. 

-0-0-0-0-

**Author's Note**

Yay, rewrite time! For those of you who are new to this fic, this chapter is a rewrite of my original chapter 1, mostly due to the fact that I wrongly dislike my old chapter, now that I have experience.

_**Important Notes about the Author's Life (Steptemper 6th, 2014)**_

I have a very important announcement to make. My Grandmother passed on this August, on the weekend before I restarted collage. While I am saddened by her departing, my whole family knew this day was coming for a long time now, and she was prepared for this; we all were able to say our goodbyes, and Grandmother passed on peacefully in her sleep. I thank you for your sympathy.

On a side note, today is my 25th birthday, so yay for that. I am enjoying collage life, and am happy to report that I am progressing very well in it.

**Review Response**

-0o0o0-

This one's from AtmaterasuIce:

"_I Honestly am interested at this development. You should continue. AND i LOVE__  
><em>_Sasusaku and Naruhina. I am a Christian, and I don't like the idea of a God__  
><em>_pokemon. However, Mew sort of is two. Anyway, I like Arcues cause of coolness__  
><em>_and power, but not of pokegod._

_I will not say what they should start out with cuz I want it to be a surprise.__  
><em>_However, It should be something not seen much, like Sasuke with a Blitzel."_

Thank you for giving me my first Review, AtmaterasuIce. I am glad to meet a fellow Christen on . I'm also glad you are interesting in my story and that you are a fan of the couples I like.

I've never really seen Mew as a 'Godmon,' considering that Mew's only known as the first and thereby eldest Pokémon, not the creator of them. I also dislike how Arcues is made the strongest Pokémon when that place belongs to Mewtwo, with him holding that title for the longest time and earning it with all the media dedicated to establishing it (Mewtwo Strikes Back, Mewtwo Returns, exedra). Then again, I've always hated it if something new outdoes something old just to make the new thing awesome.

Once again, thank you for your review and I will consider your idea of Sasuke owning a Blitzle.

-0o0o0-

Pokémon Konoha

Chapter 1

(_**Rewrite**_)

Today, the normally quaint (but rarely quiet) Uzumaki home was a place of high spirits; balloons were set all around, streamers were hanging from the ceiling, and a large banner reading, 'Happy 12th Birthday!' was hung proudly over the entrance to the dinning room. Today, young Naruto Uzumaki would be old enough to finally start his Pokémon Journey, and his whole family was here to celebrate. While the boy's parents, Kushina and Minato, got everything ready in the dinning room, Uncle Yahiko decided to entertain everyone with a story of one of his grand adventures.

"The last thing I remember was the great leviathan's crimson tail crashing down on the ship," Uncle Yahiko said dramatically, slamming his fist down on the table for effect. "SMASH! One slap of its tail, and boom, the Dancing Kingdra was nothing more than shattered flotsam, and my crew was dragged down in the depths."

The audience of Yahiko's story consisted of his nephew Naruto Uzumaki, and Naruto's neighborhood friend, Konohamaru Sarutobi. With them sat Jiraiya, Naruto's Grandfather, and Asuma Sarutobi, Konohamaru's Uncle. Nearby, Yahiko's wife Konan watched and listened, though unlike the rest of the group, she didn't seen spellbound by her husband's words. If anything, she looked amused; then again, this wasn't the first time she had heard one of her husband's wild tales.

"Next thing I knew, I was sinking down into the depths of pitch-black water," Yahiko continued. "I couldn't see any of my shipmates, or even tell up from down, and my lungs were burning for air. Taking my chances, I chose a direction and started paddling harder than I ever did. Seems luck was on my side, 'cause eventually, I saw the flash of thunder from the stormy sky peeking through the waves, and I swam so hard when I broke to the surface, I must have flown five feet out. I took in the sweetest breaths of air I've ever breathed in my life, and headed for the biggest piece of my boat that was still floating; as fate would have it, it was the part that had the ship's name newly painted in bright yellow letters. Then, after crawling up on the flotsam and getting my footing, I grabbed a long, thin piece of wood, made it into a makeshift harpoon, and then, I waited, scanning the stormy waters for any sign of the monster from the depths."

Yahiko paused to take a drink of his cider, savoring it and watching his nephews as they waited for him to continue. Finally, Naruto could take it no more.

"Well?!" he asked, "What happened next?"

Uncle Yahiko smiled wryly, looking past the boy and into the dinning room. "Let's hold off that bit for a little; your mom's waving for us to come on in now, birthday boy."

That was all he needed to say to get the two boys moving. Quick as a flash, they were out of the Uzumaki living room and into the dinning room. They couldn't help but smile at what they saw; all of Naruto's favorite homemade dishes were set on a festive orange spread, with his mother's famed chocolate fudge sheet cake at the table's center. The aroma of his mother's home-cooking alone was enough to make Naruto drool.

"Come on and grab a seat," Kushina said happily, walking past them in an apron that said 'Kiss the Cook' with pink hearts all around it. Behind her, Kitsune, her beloved silver Ninetales, followed faithfully. Kushina's most trusted companion and assistant, Kitsune was just as much a part of the Uzumaki household as anyone else, often serving as a babysitter and guardian to Naruto and his friends, and had fished him out of trouble more than a few times.

"So, excited, birthday boy?" Minato asked, coming up from behind his son and ruffling his hair affectionately.

"You bet I am!" Naruto said, giving a big smile as he sat down next to his father. "I can't wait to start my Pokémon Journey! I've been waiting for this day forever!" Everyone else took their own seats and started to pass out the plates and drinks.

Minato chuckled. "I know you have, and you're gonna do great on it. However, how about we enjoy this party, and after that, you can have your first Pokémon?"

"Whoo yeah!" the boy cheered.

Everyone dug in, and there were many compliments were given to Kushina for her cooking. As they ate, of course the adults talked about more serious matters.

"How's everything in Uzushiogakure, Yahiko?" Asuma asked casually; he wasn't really part of the world of politics, but his father had been Konoha's Champion once, so he had a passing interest in current events.

Yahiko made a face. "It hasn't been called that since the time of Hanzo," he pointed out, setting his fork down. "Now, our home is called Amegakure, symbolizing our change from the past. And things are good and bad for us, truth be told."

Naruto listened quietly, knowing what his uncle meant. Amegakure was a region made up of a chain of islands that many would call natural wonders. Whirlpools, unpredictable storms, and other such natural dangers, Amegakure remained largely isolated from the rest of the world, and had given rise to its more commonly known title, the Eternal Danger Islands.

Uncle Yahiko and Aunt Konan were both natives to the Eternal Danger Islands, as was Naruto's mother Kushina. Back when they were still growing up, Amegakure was called Uzushiogakure, and was led by the tyrant Hanzo; he had kept the islands even more isolated than they had been naturally, and ruled with an iron fist. After he had been overthrown by Yahiko with help not only from Konan and Kushina, but also Jiriya and Minato (as well as others not present), the Eternal Islands were renamed Amegakure, a Pokémon League was set up, and routes to the various islands were discovered, allowing them to overcome their natural isolation. Nowadays, Uncle Yahiko was the first legitimate Amegakure Champion, and he did all he could to make the rest of the world accept his homeland as a true country.

"The good news is that the Konoha League sees us as a real region; they even accept our League badges and everything," Uncle Yahiko explained to Asuma. "The only problem is the other region's leagues; most of them say we're too small, and should just count as an extension of Konoha."

"That doesn't make any sense," Asuma retorted, "Don't the Eternal Danger Islands have their lots of unique Pokémon? That alone should qualify them as independent region, shouldn't it?"

"Yeah, but logic rarely works with politicians," Yahiko sighed. He turned toward Minato. "It would be a lot easier if you were still the Konoha Champion, Little Bro," he said accusingly.

Minato raised up his hands defensively. "Hey, I retired from that over a decade ago; can you imagine how hard it would be to raise my boy and juggle responsibilities as Champion? Besides, I think Obito Uchiha is doing a good job."

"No more talk of politics," Kushina cut in, her voice making the matter final. "It's a nasty subject, and there are children here. Do you really wanna subject their innocent ears to such language? Besides," she added, looking at Yahiko, "weren't you in the middle of story?"

"Oh right!" Yahiko cried, cheering up. He thought for a moment. "Now where was- ah right, I remember."

He cleared his throat, and then went back into storytelling mode, motioning and waving with his hands as he spoke. "So, there I stood, in the middle of the black waters, the clouds above me echoing with thunder as they blotted out the moon, and the rain on my back. I scanned the waters, just waiting for the great beast to rise up from the depths and try to finish what he started. I didn't have to wait long; soon, a glowing pair of eyes shone up from the watery depths, looking straight at me. I still remember those eyes, and the fear they filled me with; I remember how they rose up from the depths, getting bigger and bigger as the beast swam at me. Finally, it broke the surface, and in spray of water, I finally saw the whole monster I'd been hunting; the Great Red Death, the legendary Gyarados of the Eternal Danger Islands. The beast was over a hundred feet long, its scales glistening blood red in the storm's flashing light."

His audience (save Konan) gave a collective gasp as Yahiko paused to let his story sink in. Smiling, he went on. "There I was, facing my almost certain death, with only a splinter of my ship as a weapon; the Red Death eyed me, not striking right away. Perhaps it was curious as to what a little human armed with a stick on a raft hoped to accomplish, or maybe it just was feeding on my dread. Either way, it was content to just loom over me while the storm raged and nearly tossed me from my raft. Finally, I could take it no longer; with a defiant scream, I hurled my harpoon at it, what little good that did. Now that got the monster's attention. Rearing back, the Red Death roared in rage, and lunged at me, its great jaws open wide. SNAP! With one bite, my world was darkness, and down the beast's throat I was headed."

"Whoa," Naruto breathed, looking amazed. "It ate you?"

"Did you die!?" Konohamaru asked in horror.

"Sadly, yes," Yahiko admitted, looking down.

The two boys dropped their jaws while Konan rolled her eyes.

"But, I lived!" Uncle Yahiko quickly added, giving a mad smile. "And I tell you, never in my life had I ever felt so alive (not including when Konan and I got hitched, of course) than when I was so close to death in that beastie's throat. Struggling with all my might, I clawed my way up his gullet until I reached that gross dangly-thing at the back of your throat. I grabbed hold of it, and gave it a jolly-good tug. I pulled and tugged on that thing until the Red Death couldn't take it anymore, and finally spat me right out!"

"Cooool!" Naruto said, looking at Yahiko in awe. "What then?"

"Well," his Uncle mused, looking very smug, "I'm not sure if your parents would want me to give you all the gruesome and ultra-violent details, but I can tell you this: I may have lost a ship that night, but I didn't swim back to shore." He pulled out a Pokéball that was completely blood red and had waves carved all over it.

"You caught the Red Death!" Naruto gasped, pointing. "Can you show him to us?"

"Catch him I did," Yahiko nodded. "But, I'm going to have to pass on showing him off. Sorry, Little Buddy, but I don't think he could fit in a small town like this, let along your family's house."

Naruto sighed in disappointment.

Uncle Yahiko laughed. "Ah, don't think too much about it, kid. Most of the time I let this beastie out, he scares the daylights out of anyone who sees him. And I wouldn't wanna do that to you on your birthday, would I?"

"Pssh, that that would happen," Naruto said, rolling his eyes and shrugging. "I'm gonna be Konoha's next Champion someday, after all; no way I'd be scared by some- "

"GGRRRRRRR!"

The deep, powerful growl came from behind Naruto. Taken off guard, the boy jumped out of his seat and whipped around, only to look right in the eyes of a red Gyarados, not 2 feet right from where he was sitting.

"IT'S THE RED DEATH!" Naruto shrieked, stumbling back.

Konohamaru, who was sitting next to Naruto, scrambled back, latching on to his Uncle Asuma and screaming, "It's going to kill us all!"

For a brief while, the room was filled with what the neighbors thought was the shirking of little girls. However, this died out when the Gyarados face started to give a very un-Gyarados sort of laugh.

"Zo-rururururu!" it giggled, fading in size and color as it shook with uncontrollable laughter. Soon, the thing was gone, replaced by a small black fox Pokémon.

"Kurama!" Naruto growled, jumping up. "It was you!"

"Zorua!" the Tricky Fox Pokémon said proudly, wriggling his tail smugly.

"Got ya!" Kushina and Uncle Yahiko shouted in unison.

"Hahaha, you should have seen the look on your faces!" Naruto's mother said, walking over and patting Kurama on the head. "Oh, you did perfectly, little one. Your timing couldn't have been better."

"Zoooor," Kurama purred, giving Naruto a mocking smile.

"Oh, I'm gonna get you!" the boy shouted, lunging at the little fox. However, he didn't get very far.

"NINE!" Kitsune hissed as she darted between the two, her breath flaring with red sparks. She pushed her Zorua pup back and wrapped him up in her tails protectively.

"Hey, no fair!" Naruto cried, trying to move past the Ninetales, "only a coward would hide behind mommy, Kurama!"

"Ru-ru!" Kurama growled back, struggling to get free from his mother's tails.

Kushina decided it was a good idea to step in. "Okay, that's enough out of both of you," she demanded, clapping her hands. "Naruto, come on now, it was just a joke, there's no need to get violent; Kurama, the joke's over, so no more teasing. And Kitsune," she added, giving a wily smile and scratching the Ninetales ear, "thanks for not frying Naruto. Good girl."

"Boy, does this family have some pretty strange standards for good behavior," Asama muttered. He turned to Konohamaru, who was still latched onto him tight. "Hey kid, think you can loosen up, just a little? Any tighter and I'm gonna choke to death."

"Oh, sorry," the boy said quickly, letting go.

Jiraiya moved over and ruffled his grandson's hair. "You know, you gotta admit, Naruto, that was pretty funny."

"Oh, okay, I admit, that was pretty good, Mom," Naruto sighed.

"Zor-zo-rua," Kurama laughed, swishing his backside at the boy.

"Ninetales," Kitsune sighed, grabbing her pup by the scruff of his neck. Ignoring his protests, she plopped her baby down in front of herself and started giving him a bath, muttering something about his fur being messy.

"Okay, okay, quiet down everyone," Minato called, holding up his hands for quiet. "Now it's time for the moment we've all be waiting for, especially you, Naruto." He gave his son a big, broad smile. "It's time we gave you your birthday present."

Smiling, Naruto's parents pulled lifted up a small orange box with a yellow bow on it, handing to their son. "Happy Birthday, do the best son anyone could ask for," his father said, beaming proudly.

Naruto grinned, blushing a little. "Ah Dad, stop it."

"Oh, hurry up and open it already," Kushina urged, edging forward in her seat. Next to her, Kitsune stopped grooming poor Kurama to watch everything unfold.

"I know what it is, I know what it is," Naruto chanted, tearing the wrapping paper away. "It's my Starter Pokémon!"

Sure enough, within the box lay shiny new Pokéball.

"Happy Birthday!" everyone shouted.

"He's from all of us to you," Minato explained as his son picked up the ball with overflowing joy.

Naruto looked at the ball in his hands and then at his parents. "C-Can I open it now?"

"Of course you can, baby," his mother chuckled. "Go on and say hello to your partner!"

"All right, come on out!" Naruto shouted, tossing the ball up high.

The Pokéball opened with a flash of light, and a small Pokémon appeared. He looked like a blue jackal standing on two feet, with a black domino mask marking over his face. "Riolu?" he squeaked, looking up at Naruto with big, red eyes.

"He's a Riolu," Jiraiya explained, "and his name is Kata. He's all yours, boy."

"Oh, you are soooo cool!" Naruto squealed, giving his new Pokémon a hug.

"Rio!" the Pokémon gasped, pushing his owner away in fright.

"Be careful or you'll frighten him," Aunty Konan warned. "And then you'll be sorry. He make look cute and small, but he's a Riolu; they're very strong, even compared to other Fighting-types their size."

"Sorry," Naruto said bashfully, letting his frightened Pokémon go.

Kata stepped looked at him questioningly for a moment, then nodded. "Riolu," he said, accepting Naruto's apology and holding out his fist.

The boy couldn't help but giggle with delight and gave his new friend a fist bump. "We'll be the best of friends!" he declared proudly.

"Rio!" Kata agreed.

Quick as a flash, Naruto whipped around and gave his parents a great, big, hug. "He's awesome! Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you soooo much, Mom and Dad!"

"Riolu!" Kata cried, mimicking his trainer and joining the hug.

"Whoa there, boy. Remember, he's from all of us, not just your mother and I," his father reminded him.

Naruto rubbed the back of his head. "Right; got ya!" He turned to the rest of his family and started giving out hugs and thanks.

Meanwhile, Jiraiya smiled smugly, looking over at Minato and Kushina. "See, I told you he was perfect for the boy," he whispered, winking at his daughter-in-law.

"Ah, I still think he and Kurama would have been a good choice," Kushina said, shrugging dramatically.

Next to her, Kitsune hissed hatefully at the very thought of it, pulling her precious baby tightly to her. Giving an outcry of protests, Kurama struggled free, and hopped on over to inspect this new addition to the family.

"Oh, you wanna say hi, Kurama?" Naruto asked, watching as the Tricky Fox Pokémon sniffed Kata down.

The Riolu looked at the fellow Pokémon questioningly. "Riolu?" he asked, holding out his hand.

"Riolu?" the Zorua mimicked. He glowed for a moment, and then turned into an exact mirror image of Kata.

"Lu!" the Fighting-type cried out, stumbling back. Kurama snickered, turning back into his own form.

"Nine, Ninetales," Kitsune sighed, warning her pup to play nice. She extended on of her tails, pushed Kata back to his feet, and then rubbed him clean of any dust.

"Thank you all soooo much!" Naruto cheered again.

"Oh, we're not done quiet yet," Kushina laughed. "There are still a few more things you need to be a real Pokémon Trainer." She pulled out a notebook-sized package wrapped up in orange paper and handed it to her son.

Scarcely able contain himself, Naruto opened the package as quickly as he could. "It's a Pokédex!" he cried out, holding the orange device up for everyone to see.

"Why don't you try it out?" Jiraiya suggested.

Naruto quickly pointed the Pokédex at Kata. With a chime, the device came to life. "Riolu, the Emanation Pokémon. Riolu are sensitive to Aura, or the life-force of all living beings. While unable to fully utilize Aura, Riolu can still emanate it in the form of waves, allowing it to project and feel emotions over a distance. Because of this, Riolu prefers to be around people that project positive emotions."

Both Naruto and Konohamaru "oohed" and "awed" at the Pokédex.

"So this little guy likes being around happy people?" Naruto said. "Well, then you're gonna' love being my Pokémon!"

"Ri-Ri!" Kata replied happily.

"Thank you, Mom," Naruto added, looking loving at his mother.

"And here's our gift to you," Konan said, pushing a plain box toward her nephew. "Here's one your parents didn't plan on," she added mischievously when she noticed their surprised faces.

Lifting the lid, Naruto found an orange device that he didn't recognize. It resembled a Pokédex and a phone slightly. Naruto looked to his parents to explain what it was, but they didn't recognize, but they were perplexed too.

Laughing slightly at the boy's confusion, Uncle Yahiko explained. "It's a Pokénav; the newest model. It's like a GPS map that can pinpoint a person's location. We can use it to keep track of you and you can use it to find your way."

"Wish I had one," Jiraiya muttered. "That would have saved me time and money."

"A Pokénav can also be used as a cell-phone," Yahiko continued, "but its main use is it has a database that stores info on the most notable trainers, and can even record info on trainers you meet."

"Cool," the boy mused. "Thanks."

Jiraiya cleared his throat. "Ahem. Me and Konohamaru got something for the kid you, ya' know." He motioned for Konohamaru, who pulled out five Pokéballs and handed them to his cousin. "You wouldn't get too far on your journey without these."

"Thank you," Naruto said, taking the Pokéballs and putting them away. He looked at his whole family. "Thank you, all."

"Happy Birthday, son," Minato said, smiling wide. "Now, I know your eager to start your journey, but it wouldn't be a Birthday party without some of your mother's famous chocolate sheet cake, would it?"

A choir of cheers was his answer.

After the party, Naruto said a tearful goodbye to his loving family.

"I'm going to miss you sooo much, Naruto," Kushina said, squeezing her son so hard he wasn't sure he could ever get away. "Call home on your Pokénav **every** day, understand? Remember, don't forget to take baths whenever you can, and be sure to eat right; not just ramen. I've packed everything you'll need, but be sure to double check every time you get into town to make sure you have plenty of supplies, okay? And change and clean your clothes every day, especially your underwear-"

"Mooom!" Naruto shouted, pulling out of her death grip a little. "You're embarrassing me! I'm not a baby anymore!"

"I know," she said, smiling and letting him go. "It's just that you'll always be my little boy."

"I know," Naruto sighed, exasperated and a little embarrassed.

"Good luck, sport," Jiraiya said, ruffling up his hair affectionately.

"I know you'll do great, Naruto," Uncle Yahiko said. "One day, I hope you and I have a battle."

"And I'll win!" Naruto replied confidently.

Yahiko smiled warmly.

"You better watch your back, Brother," Konohamaru told Naruto, pointing his finger at him, "'Cause pretty soon I'm going to be starting my journey, and when I do, we're going to fight in the Pokémon League!"

"One last thing, Naruto," Minato said, fingering his hat. It was a blue and white cap with a symbol of a spiral on top of a leaf on the front, the Konoha League Symbol. Grinning, Minato ripped the cap off his own head and put it on his son's. "I believe in you, son. Now go show the world what you're made of!"

"You bet I will!" Naruto shouted, grinning wide, "Believe it!"


	3. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer**

Let me just start out with the standard Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, Pokemon, or any of the associated or mentioned franchises/companies, and I am not making a profit on this.

**Review Response**

This one's from Nikooru-sama:

_Question 1: Hmm.. I'm not sure who should be next...Maybe you can do a flashback with a few of them when Naruto meets them all?_

_Question 2: I would like a few short ones now and then, but only when you feel like it :) It's really up to you about how you would want to post chapters :P_

_I was just thinking as a starter; Eevee, but I'm not sure if Sakura should have one, or Hinata.._

_Sakura is my all-time favourite but an Eevee would go with Hinata too...I'm so confused... :L_

_Update when you can please :) x_

Thank you for the review, Nikooru-sama. I've already chosen the starters at this point, but I plan on two characters having Eevee; though I'm not saying who. Thanks for the advice.

This one's from AtmaterasuIce:

_He should meet Sasuke, and make a funny seen...The anime kiss! Like they bump into each other and kiss! That would be hilarious!_

I did have Naruto meet up with Sasuke this chapter, but it wasn't so funny yet. I plan for that to be in the future. Thank you for your support.

Pokémon Konoha

Chapter 2

"Sasuke," Mikoto called, "Breakfast is ready, time to get- -oh, you're already up."

Her son, Sasuke Uchiha, walked into the kitchen, fully dressed. He wore black and blue clothing fit for traveling far; fitting, considering that today he would be given his official starter Pokémon and thusly be allowed to start his journey.

"Morning, Mother," Sasuke said groggily as he sat down at the table. "Have you seen Bayushi? He wasn't in my room when I woke up."

"He went outside to chase the birds, I think," Mikoto said with her usually cheeriness, setting down a plateful of eggs, bacon, sausage, and toast before her boy. "So, today you'll be beginning your Pokémon Journey. Are you excited?"

Sasuke shook his head stubbornly and took a bite of his breakfast. He had gotten up very early in his excitement, and got little sleep the night before. Not that he'd admit it. _Ever_.

Minkoto smiled, knowing full well what her son was thinking.

Without warning, a white ball of fluff run leapt into Sasuke's lap. The boy cried out in shock, dropping the slice of bacon he was eating. "Bayushi!" he shouted upon realizing who it was.

"Eevee!" it squeaked in return.

"Calm down, Sasuke," Mikoto said smoothly. "Bayushi just wanted some attention, didn't you, baby?" She scratched behind the rare white Eevee's ear affectionately.

"More like he wanted some bacon," Sasuke said crossly as Bayushi dove for Sasuke's fallen bacon and then snuck under the table with his prize.

"I told you he'd do that if you keep feeding him from your plate, didn't I?" Mikoto pointed out, going back to the stove to set up her own plate.

"Yes, Mother," Sasuke droned. However, as soon as her back was turned, Sasuke scooped up the Eevee in his lap and sneaked him a sausage, much to the Pokémon's delight.

It was only after his Mother sat down that Sasuke noticed the unset place at the head of the table. "Father's not here?"

Mikoto cringed slightly. The disappointment in his voice was barely disguised. "No, I'm afraid not," she said. "He was called away to an important meeting only a few hours ago."

"I understand," Sasuke said quietly, his face was without emotion, "Father is a very busy man with lots of responsibilities." _And it's not like he wanted to see me off_, the boy thought bitterly.

Mikoto sighed. Her husband, Fugaku Uchiha was an important man. He was the one of the Konoha League Regulations Overseers. It was his job to make sure all gyms and trainers in the region where operating to the rules and regulations of the League, and also to protect any Pokémon or Nature Preserves that where under League responsibility. However, she knew full that her husband could have taken the day off to see the start of their son's Trainer's Journey. He just didn't want to.

Fugaku was never close with Sasuke, Mikoto admitted. But he had never been an outright bad parent. Sure, Fugaku never spent much time Sasuke, but he still spoke highly of him when the boy wasn't around (so Sasuke wouldn't get a big head, Fugaku would say). And yes, he held his children up to high, if not almost impossible, standards. But that only meant that he cared.

That was before the…incident. Mikoto held back a tear. She didn't even want to think about her eldest son, Itachi. What had happened to her poor child, what he had become, it was too much to bear sometimes. Mikoto still remembered when the family heard the news. How it hit them.

She would wonder who it affected more: Fugaku or Sasuke. Her husband was so ashamed that he refused to talk about it to anyone, even her. As far as he was concerned, Itachi was never born. No one was even allowed to say his first son's name in his presence. And sense then, Fugaku had become so icy to his other son, as if he was afraid Sasuke would turn out the same.

And poor Sasuke. He had been so close to Itachi. He was so young at the time; he barely understood what was going on. And Fugaku didn't make it any easier on him. When he was old enough to really understand, he had been devastated. Sasuke refused to believe that Itachi-

"Mother, are you alright?" Sasuke asked.

"Of course," Mikoto said quickly, brining herself back to the present. "Why do you ask?"

"No reason," Sasuke said. She had looked so sad just then. Like she wanted to cry,

"Anyway," Mikoto cut in, getting up from the table and taking the now empty dishes, "Since we're done with breakfast, why don't you go and check to make sure you have everything you'll need on your journey while I clean up. Then we go to the lab and get you your Pokémon. Okay Sweetie?"

Sasuke scampered off to his room, and Minkoto washed and loaded their dishes.

-Ring, ring, ring, Phone Call, Phone Call, ring, ring, ring-

Mikoto dove for the video phone, hoping it was Fugaku, saying that he could show up.

"Hello," she choked out, clearing her throat, "this is Uchiha residence, how may I help you?"

The face of Kushina Uzumaki, Minkoto's best friend, appeared on the screen. "Hi, Minkoto!" she said happily.

"Oh, hello," Mikoto said, trying not to sound too disappointed. She should have known not to expect her husband. "I'm fine."

"That's good," Kushina said. "Tell, me, Mikoto, isn't Sasuke about to start his journey soon?"

"This morning, actually," Mikoto replied.

Kushina smiled widely. "That's _perfect_."

"Why do you ask?" Mikoto recognized that smile. It usually meant trouble.

She took a moment, thinking over her words. "Well, the thing is," Kushina began slowly, "Naruto is began his journey yesterday."

Mikoto gasped. "That's great, Kushina! I'm so proud. But…why didn't you tell me earlier? I would have liked to see him off. And so would have Sasuke, even if he says differently." Truth be told, their boys were very good friends; the best of friends, in fact. But, they had a heated rivalry not unlike their fathers, and they pretended not to like each other.

"Well, I wanted to, but Minato insisted that it be a privet event. Family only." Kushina explained. "He thought that if word got out, the press would show up. They'd want to be there when the former Champion's son started his Pokémon Journey, and the last thing Minato wanted was for his son's birthday to become a media fiasco."

"I understand," Mikoto said. "So what can I do for you?"

"Well," Kushina said slowly, "The thing is, I know he's a grown boy, but I don't feel comfortable with him traveling alone. And I know that Naruto will be passing by your town around this time, so maybe you could get convince Sasuke to meet up with him?"

"Oh, I see." Mikoto thought a bit. "I'll ask him."

"You will! Oh thank you, Mikoto!"

"Don't mention it," she laughed. "I think it's a good idea. Sasuke and Naruto are good friends, even if they say otherwise. And the two will defiantly try to outdo the other, so they'll constantly help each other improve. And they'll be safe. I see no reason it won't work."

"Thank you, Mikoto," Kushiha said, smiling. "I feel much better now. Bye." The screen clicked off.

"I'm ready, Mom!" Sasuke called, running into the kitchen with his wearing his backpack and Bayushi riding on his shoulder.

"Great, I just finished," Mikoto smiled. "Let's go." They went out the door. "On the way, there's something I need to tell you."

"Oh, great," Sasuke sighed, rolling his eyes playfully. He knew Mother would want to say a sappy goodbye.

Mikoto giggled. Sasuke must be really excited to be acting like this. "Now, did you know that your best friend, Naruto Uzumaki, started his own Pokémon Journey?"

"Good for the Dope," Sasuke said curtly, then quickly added, "And he's not my best friend!"

His mother sighed. Her son could be so stubborn sometimes. "Well, I just got off the phone with Aunty Kushina, and-"

_A few Minutes Later…_

The mother and child walked up the laboratory of Professor Hiruzen Sarutobi just as Mikoto finished explaining to her son.

"So, you want me to babysit Naruto for his mother?" Sasuke concluded.

"No," Mikoto sighed, "I want you to travel with Naruto for a while to each of you safe and give you someone to keep you company."

"I don't like it," Sasuke said flatly. "The point of a Journey is to teach you independence and how to rely on your Pokémon. And Naruto's annoying."

"You know, Sasuke, I started my journey with Aunty Kushina," Mikoto pointed out. "And it would make me feel so much better if I knew you had someone to travel with."

"I'll have my Pokémon," Sasuke countered.

"Eevee!" agreed Bayushi, nodding.

Mikoto turned away. "Fine. Have it your way. I understand. This is important to you." Without making eye contact with Sasuke, she looked over to Sarutobi's lab. "So, shall you go get your Pokémon?"

"Whoa, whoa, wait a minute," Sasuke said. "That's it? No arguments, no insisting. No guilt trip saying how long you were in labor with me?"

"Why would I do that, Sweetie?" his Mother replied plainly. "You're making the very best decision you could. It was silly of me to even think of the idea." Sasuke felt something icy drop in his stomach. "Now come on, let's go." She started to walk to the lab.

Inwardly, Sasuke was at war with himself. On one hand, he didn't want to make his Mother, the parent that showed him love without restraint, sad, and he knew she meant well. On the other hand, he also knew that she was using guilt, even if it was well hidden, and he didn't want to hang around Naruto. He really didn't want to hang around Naruto.

Groaning, Sasuke swore that he'd be kicking himself in the shins for years to come for this. "Wait Mom!" he called after her, "I'll do it!"

Suppressing a smile, Mikoto turned around. "You will?"

"Yes," he said. "I will."

"Well, if you insist," she replied. "Now, let's go get your Pokémon!"

_Inside…_

"Welcome," an old man in a lab coat said to the two as they walked into his lab, "Come in and sit down. My name is Professor Hiruzen Sarutobi." He held out his arms and smiled widely. "It is always good to have new trainers start their Journey; particularly of the famed Uchiha family." The Professor looked at Sasuke. "So tell me, Sasuke, are you nervous?"

"No way," the boy responded a little too quickly.

Mikoto laughed a little. "He couldn't sleep at all last night."

"I see." Sarutobi noticed looked at Bayushi riding on Sasuke's shoulder. "I see you have already have an Eevee. And one with a white coat, too. Very rare. Where did you get it?"

Sasuke hesitated to answer, so his Mother stepped in. "Bayushi was given to him by Itachi on Sasuke's eighth birthday."

Prof. Sarutobi. "Ahhh. So he's a pet."

He sat down across from them and exhaled, then looked up and resumed smiling. "I understand that that Eevee -Bayushi, was it?- must be very important to you. However, considering that he's been raised more as a pet than an outright battler, it would be for you to start with a League approved Pokémon. It would be safer and more practical. And it would be much easier for you to enter the Konoha League Championship. Otherwise, they may give you trouble for starting with a domestic, unapproved, Pokémon."

"We've already discussed that with him," Mikoto explained. "Which is why we're here for a starter."

"Right." Sarutobi rubbed the back of his head. "Glad that's taken care of."

Sasuke looked at his Eevee lovingly. "Do I really have to leave Bayushi at home?" he asked pleadingly, surprisingly emotional.

"Honey," his Mother said empathetically, "we talked about this already. I know you love Bayushi, but it's for the best."

The boy nodded, clearly heartbroken. And his Pokémon looked the same.

Prof. Sarutobi brushed his beard for a moment. The little Pokémon must mean a lot to the boy. "You know," Sarutobi said with a grin, "I may have a solution."

Sasuke's head shot up.

"You simply have to register a starter as your first _official_ Pokémon. Then you're free to add your Eevee to your team. Domestic Pokémon aren't registered, after all."

"Is that allowed?" Mikoto asked.

"Normally, no," Sarutobi said. "However, the rule is meant to keep young trainers from using family pets in battle, where they might get hurt due to lack of experience. It seems to me that Bayushi here is young enough to still learn how to battle safely. Especially since you'll have another Pokémon to help teach him. That is, of course, if you still want to."

"Of course I do!" Sasuke shouted, jumping up. "Did you hear that, Bayushi? We're staying together!"

"Vee!" Bayushi cheered, jumping down to the floor and spinning around.

Sasuke danced around for a few seconds before realizing how childish he was being. "-I mean," he stuttered, calming down very fast. He reached down and stopped Bayushi. "I would like that very much. Thank you." He gave a short bow.

"You are welcome," Sarutobi said. "Now, there's still one trainer I have an appointment for. How about we wait for her, and then I'll show you the starters?"

They didn't have to wait long. It took less than 5 minutes after they sat down for the other beginning trainer to show up. The Professor gave her a speech similar to one he gave Sasuke before leading the girl over to them. "Hianta, this is Mikoto Uchiha, and her son, Sasuke Uchiha. He's starting out just like you. Sasuke, this is Hinata Hyūga."

"H-h-hello," Hinata sputtered, keeping her face down. She had short, dark blue-black hair and wore a plain jacket that covered her up good. Sasuke recognized her white-lavander eyes as belonging to the Hyūga clan, an important family whose important members his father sometimes had over for dinner parties.

"So Hinata, where is your father?" Sarutobi asked, looking around as if he'd pop out of nowhere.

Turning red, Hinata looked away and muttered something.

"I'm sorry dear, I didn't hear you. Please speak up," Prof. Sarutobi said.

"H-he didn't c-come," the shy girl managed.

"What?!" the old man said, eyes going wide.

Blushing, Hinata continued. "F-father said that if I was going to b-be a strong trainer, I had t-to do this on my o-own." After finishing, she nearly fainted from embarrassment.

Sasuke felt bad for her. At least his Dad had an excuse for not coming, and his Mom did come with him.

"He said that, did he?" Hiruzen Sarutobi said darkly, making a note to have a word with Hiashi Hyūga on proper parenting techniques. But he decided to drop the subject for now. It would only embarrass her to talk about it anymore.

"Well then," he said, clapping his hands together, "I think you are both very excited to be starting your Pokémon Journeys, so why don't we get to it, then?" He led them over to a table with three Pokéballs on it. "The standard types most trainers start with are Grass, Fire, or Water. You two get to choose between Pokémon of those Elements. However," he added, picking up the Pokéball with a grass symbol on it, "I recently acquired a few Starter types from the nearby regions. The first one is Treecko, the Wood Gecko Pokémon."

The Pokéball opened with a flash, and a Pokémon appeared that, true to its species, looked like a green gecko. "Treecko!" it announced boldly, glaring at the Eevee on Sasuke's feet. Bayushi whimpered, so Sasuke picked him up and glared at the green monster. The two held their gazes before the Treecko turned to Hinata, who backed away, clenching her hands tightly. She thought it was creepy.

Seeing the girl's discomfort, the Pokémon Professor recalled the Grass type before continuing. "Next up is one you might recognize: Charmander, the Lizard Pokémon."

With a flash of light, an orange, lizard-like Pokémon with a burning tail appeared. It looked around with wide eyes before spotting Sasuke and Bayushi. "Char-char!" it called, waving a claw.

"Vee," Bayushi said in response, "Eevee vee."

The two started speaking back and forth.

"You like him, Bayushi?" Sasuke asked, looking at the Fire Pokémon appraisingly.

"Ee-vee!" Bayushi said, nodding.

"That's the one," Sasuke said, looking at Prof. Sarutobi. "I defiantly want him."

"Well," he said, "You did come first, so you do have first choice. And he does get along with your Eevee. I guess you can have him. Is that okay, Hinata?"

She gave a small nod.

"Charmander!" the Fire type cried out happily. Bayushi jumped out of Sasuke's hands and started dancing around with Sasuke's new Pokémon.

As Sasuke's Mother started to complement him on picking the same Pokémon his father chose, Prof. Sarutobi turned picked up the final Pokéball.

"Lastly, I have Totodile, the Big Jaw Pokémon," he announced, opening the ball.

As the Pokémon materialized, Hinata crossed her figures, praying it would be less creepy than the evil gecko.

Totodile turned out to look like a small, blue crocodile with red spines down his back. "Toto," he moaned, rubbing its eyes. He did a long stretch. "Dile!"

Hinata let out a small giggle, which grabbed the Water type's attention.

It rushed over to Hinata and jumped up and down. "Totototototo!" he sang, dancing around and waving his arms.

Hinata giggled some more. "Oh, you are so sweet," she said, hesitantly reaching out a hand and petting him. "D-do you want to go with me?"

"Dile! Dile!" the Totodile cheered, jumping into her arms.

"I don't speak Totodile, but I think that's a yes," Prof. Hiruzen said, holding out the Pokéball.

Hinata took it, and smiled at her Pokémon. At least she did this much right.

"Now, why don't you two think about what to name your Pokémon while I go get your Pokédexs and Pokéballs."

After a few minutes, in which Hinata sat in one corner with her Totodile and Sasuke and his mother sat in another, Hinata was surprised to see Mikoto push her son forward toward her. She whispered something, and Sasuke stepped forward. "Hey," he said.

"H-hello," Hinata responded, "how can I help you?"

Giving his mother a glance, Sasuke sighed. "I named my Charmander Togashi," he started, holding up his Pokéball. "What's your Totodile called?"

"I ch-chose Rhapsody," Hinata explained, hoping the name did not sound stupid. At least her Pokémon liked it.

"Nice," Sasuke responded without thinking. He gave his mother another pained look, and she gave him a harsh one that even Hinata felt. "Listen, my Mom wants me to ask if you want to travel around with me and a..._friend_ of mine. Seeing as you're alone."

Hinata turned a red. "Th-thank you very much. B-b-but Father wanted me to-"

Sasuke cut her off. "Yeah, yeah, I know. But my Mom says it's not right for a girl to be out in the woods alone, so if you don't say yes, she's going to make me follow you around. Please don't make me act like a stalker."

"O-okay," Hinata stuttered, looking at the woman with wide eyes. No one had cared so much about her sense her mother died. Why was she being so kind? _It must be because of my family_, Hinata thought, a bit sad. "I'll travel with you."

"Here we are!" Prof. Sarutobi said, entering the room. He walked over to Hinata and Sasuke. "Here are you Pokédexs and Pokéballs. I wish you the best of luck on your journey."

"Sasuke come give me a hug," Mikoto said, pulling her boy in tight. "I love you, and I know you'll make us proud. Good luck, and keep Naruto out of trouble, okay?"

"Yes Mom," Sasuke said, secretly glad to have a mom like his. "I love you, too."

Then, much to Hinata's surprise, Minkoto gave her a hug too. "Good luck, Hinata. I'm counting on you to keep an eye on my boy. Promise?"

Too shocked to speak, Hinata just nodded.

"Good Luck," Sarutobi repeated as the two new trainers walked off to the start of their journeys.

"I'll miss you!" Mikoto called after them.

Hinata remained in shock for a little while longer. Then she noticed something. "Excuse me, S-sasuke?" she dared, looking timidly at him, "Where is your friend?"

"We're going to meet him," Sasuke said gruffly, not looking at his companion. "Right now, he's traveling on the same Root as us. So it could be a while before we meet him. Hours. Days. Weeks, maybe." Hinata noticed that Sasuke started to sound hopeful. "He could be-"

"HEEEY SAAAAASSSUUKKEE!" shouted the voice Sasuke considred to be the most annoying in the world. "IT'S ME, NARUTO!"

"-right behind us," Sasuke concluded bitterly, turning around.

"Vee," Bayushi sighed in agreement, covering his ears.

Naruto rushed up to meet his best friend, smiling widely. "Hey, Sasuke! So you finally started your journey, eh? And almost as the same time as mine? How cool is that?" He noticed Hinata. "Hey, who's this?"

"Long story," Sasuke grunted, turning around. "I'll tell you while we walk."

"Cool!" Naruto said, looking at Hinata with a wide grin. "I'm Naruto Uzumaki, by the way. Nice to meet you." He offered a hand to her.

"Hinata Hyūga," she squeaked, blushing uncontrollably as she shook hands with him.

Authors Notes:

I'm surprised that I got this chapter done so soon. I plan on having the next chapter focus on Sakura's start, and meeting up with Naruto and friends. Hopefully, we'll get to see some action too.

If you have any suggestions, I'll still like to hear them.


	4. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer**

Let me just start out with the standard Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, Pokemon, or any of the associated or mentioned franchises/companies, and I am not making a profit on this.

**Review Response**

This one's from AmaneSaphire:

_Very good fanfic, I loved you do not take into account the following generations, I also miss seeing Misty Pokemon when it were, and I love the Naruto SasuSaku and NaruHina, though the latter a bit more, I hope to see how to integrate Sakura the next chapter, I hope you continue like this._

_Greetings from Peru_

_Ps.: If you see the message is strange I did it with an English translator, I do not speak, only speak Spanish, but even with the translator, I loved your story._

Thank you for the review, AmaneSaphire. You're English is a little off, but understandable. Thank you for your opinion. I hope you continue to read.

This one's from CJ Snow:

_I'm surprised yet pleased by the choice of starter pokemon. They really complement them and it got me thinking that Sakura should end up with a Chansey somewhere down the road. Great story so far! Very well written and thought out._

I'm glad you like my choice of Starters and hope you like my choice for Sakura. Chansey is a Anyway, I hope you like this chapter

Pokémon Konoha

Chapter 3

Beep beep, beep beep, beep be- -CLICK-

Sakura Haruno reached over and shut off her alarm clock. Stretching, she threw the covers off and jumped out of her bed. Suppressing a yawn, she made way for her bathroom, grabbing the clothes she picked out the night before as she did.

After a quick shower, Sakura changed and looked herself over in the mirror. Her red blouse was quite girly, yet very practical for travel, and her white jeans went with it well. A stylish belt/hip-pack with several pockets hung on her sides, and a drawstring backpack was slung over a shoulder. Add that to the image of her pink hair held back with a headband and let to flow freely down her back, and Sakura thought she looked the a sporty action girl from a movie: The kind of girl that was tough yet girly, and always met the ever-so-awesome and handsome action star who fell head over heels for her before the closing credits. Sakura giggled at the idea of some prince charming sweeping her off her feet.

A glance at the clock told her it was 6:48. Glad that she was 12 minutes ahead of schedule, Sakura doubled-checked to make sure she didn't forget anything, grabbed a yogurt smoothie out of the fridge, and made her way to Professor Tsunade's lab.

Tsunade was Lilyport's Pokémon Professor and Sakura's teacher. She had been one of the greatest trainers in her time, and even now, her medical knowledge of both humans and Pokémon was unchallenged. Known as one of the Three Great Masters, Tsunade had gained a reputation as a Water Type expert, thought Sakura knew full well Tsunade had experience with other Elements. More than all that, Tsunade was Sakura's guardian and parental figure.

Sakura arrived at the lab 7:00 on the dot. Straining her clothes, she took a deep breath and stepped in. Inside, she was greeted by a waiting room that looked more like an aquarium, with elegant Water Pokémon gliding gracefully behind the glass walls. Sakura knew that directly upstairs from this room was another one where Sensei or Shizune, Tsunade's other assistant, would get to study and care for the Water Types. Waving gleefully at the secretary behind the desk, Sakura made her way to her teacher's office.

"Hello, Sensei," Sakura chimed cheerily as she entered.

"Hey, Sakura," Tsunade greeted, looking up from her paperwork. "Nice to see you. So, today's the day. You excited?"

"A little," the girl admitted shyly, taking a seat.

Sakura had been apprenticed to Tsunade two years ago, and had learned much about both medicine and Pokémon since then. However, it afforded her little real-life experience.

Two days ago, Tsunade told Sakura that she'd be given an assignment outside of the lab. Iruka Umino, a teacher at the Pokémon College had recently been given an egg by a student, one that he could not identity, and didn't have the time to care and raise it. So, Iruka requested that Prof. Tsunade take the egg off his hands. And Tsunade asked Sakura if she'd want to retrieve the egg in her place. Overjoyed, Sakura quickly agreed.

"Sakura," Tsunade began, "I know that you're nervous, but don't worry. Do you really think I'd give you an assignment you couldn't do?"

She smiled, feeling a little more confident.

"What's more," the Professor went on, "you're very smart, talented, and you look great."

Sakura's face broke into big grin.

"Which is why I'm betting a ton of money on you," Tsunade concluded. "So don't you dare screw this up, got it?"

Sakura felt herself deflate.

"But no pressure, right?" Tsunade chuckled, winking.

Sakura tried to laugh as well.

"Now, here you go," Tsunade said, handing a pink Pokénav over to her student.

Sakura took it, a bit confused. "Why do I need a Pokénav, Sensei?"

"Aside from how useful a Pokénav is," Tsunade explained, "it also has a special add on I made. It's equipped with a scanner that tells the trainer of a Pokémon's condition, giving a basic medical diagnostics. It works on all registered species and their eggs. I think it will prove most useful."

Sakura looked over the useful tool. "Thank you very much, Sensei."

"Now," Tsunade said, getting up, "how about we go get you're Pokémon?"

"Oh Yeah!" Sakura said, jumping and pumping her arms.

Much to her surprise, however, instead of leading Sakura to the room where she normally gave trainers their Starters, Tsunade went to the aquarium room.

"Why are we going here, Sensei?"

Tsunade grinned. "Oh, you'll see."

Cries of several Pokémon greeted the two as they walked in. Sakura waved, recognizing many as being Pokémon she recently treated.

"How are you doing, Katsuyu," Tsuande asked to a great, green and blue sea slug.

"Gastrodon!" she said, rubbing her owner affectionately. Katsuyu was Tsuande's first Pokémon, and she was definitely her most powerful. Not to mention that she was far bigger than the average size of 2'11" that where standard for her species, being large enough for two full-grown adults to ride.

"Oh, hi Waterlily!" Sakura cheered happily.

An Azurill with a flower tucked behind one ear came up and looked up at Sakura. "Zu-zurill!"

"Okay baby." Sakura scooped up the Aqua Mouse. Sakura had raised her from an egg, and now the baby identified her as a maternal figure.

As Sakura cooed over Waterlily, Tsunade smiled. "She's a good Pokémon, isn't she?" Tsunade asked.

Sakura nodded, smiling affectionately.

Tsunade held out a blue Pokéball. "She's yours."

Sakura's mouth dropped open. "But I can't!" she stuttered. "I mean, I want her, but she's so young!"

"The perfect age for a Starter, in fact," Tsunade pointed out. "Come on, Sakura, would you rather choose a Pokémon you don't know and leave your baby here alone?"

This made Sakura think for a few seconds. Then she took the blue Pokéball. "No, you're right. Waterlily is the perfect Pokémon for me."

"Zurill, zurill!" the sweet baby cheered.

"Good," Tsunade said. She pulled out a Pokédex and a few Pokéballs. "Here, you'll need these."

Gratefully, Sakura took them.

"Now, as you know from firsthand experience, the egg of a Pokémon does not develop right if it's not around other Pokémon, and a trainer doesn't grow and learn unless they're out in the world. As such, I want you raise the egg after you get it from Iruka. Travel around and raise up your own team. Find out what kind of Pokémon you like, and how you like raising them. And don't let anyone stand in your way, you hear me?"

"Yes Ma'am!" Sakura saluted.

The two made their way outside, where Shizune was waiting for them.

"Good luck, Sakura!" She said brightly as she helped Sakura put on the baby carrier she wore to hold Waterlily while she worked with her hands.

Sakura thanked Shizune and mounted her bike.

"Just follow Route 18 until it meets Route 31," Tsunade instructed, "then go north until you get to Teal Town. And be careful."

"I will," Sakura said, smiling, "And don't worry, I won't let you down!"

Tsunade and Shizune both watched until she had road out of sight.

Grinning, Tsunade turned to her assistant. "So, did Ino find a Pokémon she liked?"

"It took a while," Shizune said, "But in the end, she found one she liked and caught it."

Ino Yamanaka's father, Inoichi, had requested that the Professor help Ino find and catch her own starter; an unusual, but not unheard of, request. So Tsunade asked Shizune to fill in for her so she could see Sakura off. And so Sakura wouldn't know about her rival possibly getting a special Pokémon.

"So tell me," Tsunade asked, sitting down to her desk, "what did Ino catch, anyway?"

"A Roselia, fittingly enough" Shizune responded.

_On Route 18, a few hours later…_

"Here you go; just one last bite." Sakura carefully put a pellet of homemade Pokéfood in front of Waterlily's mouth, who ate it obediently, chewing slowly like Sakura told her. "Good girl," the trainer praised.

"Azu," she cooed, a little sleepy.

Sakura wiped the Azurill's mouth and then put her back in her baby carrier before cleaning up their lunch.

With everything put away, she stretched and mounted her bike. "Okay, Waterlily, you ready to continue?"

"Zuzuzu." Soft snoring was her response.

Smiling, Sakura started to ride off.

However, after only about 20 feet, something white and fluffy darted smack middle into the road. The white animal heard Sakura coming and turned to look, freezing in fear. "Vee?"

"HOLY MILTANK!" Sakura screamed, veering left hard.

Without warning, something else flew out of the bushes. A person in dark clothing. "Bayushi, keep running!- -WHAT THE?"

BAM!

Sakura hit him head on, knocking him over. As he fell, Sakura heard what sounded like him hitting his head on a rock.

"…Oh my God, I killed him!" Sakura gasped.

"WAAAA!" All the screaming and violent movement had awoken Waterlily from her nap.

"Eevee!" The snowy Eevee rushed to its owner's side, nudging its nose against his face.

"Uh, don't worry, Waterlily," Sakura stammered, clumsily getting off her bike, "Mommy's got this under control."

She made for the boy's form, only for his Eevee to jump in front of her, hair standing on end and hissing.

Sakura took a few steps back. "Calm down, I didn't mean to run your trainer over and bash his head on a rock," she said slowly, taking a step forward.

The Eevee hissed louder.

"It's okay, little one," she cooed, taking another step forward and lowering her hand to show she meant no harm. "I just want to see if he's okay." She willed herself not to add, _And make sure he's not dead._

Slowly, the Eevee backed off, remaining close to its master and keeping an eye on her.

"Good," Sakura breathed. She moved in and turned the boy onto his back. The first thing she noticed was that he was still breathing. "Thank God, you're alive!" The second was that he was undeniably good looking, even with his face scuffed up, dirty, and bleeding; which meant that he was even cuter most of the time.

"Ooah," the boy moaned.

"Yes?" Sakura asked. "Are you okay?"

"Mommy," the boy said in a high, childish voice with a lisp, "can you please tell me the story of the Little Magikarp That Could?"

"Oh no, you have a concussion!" Sakura screamed.

That got the boy attention. "Ooah, my head. What happened?"

"I kind of ran you over," Sakura explained, "and you hit your head on a rock."

"Vee-Ee!" the Eevee shouted, trying to tell his owner that the girl didn't "kind of ran him over." She _plowed_ right into him.

"Bayushi, that you?" the hurt boy asked groggily. Then his eyes went wide. "We've got to get out of here!"

"But you've got a concussion," Sakura protested. "I need to-"

"We're in danger!" he roared, trying to get up. "Move!"

Sakura pushed him down. "I need to make sure this isn't serious," she insisted. "What could possibly be so dangerous that you'd want to move in this condition?"

"That," the boy said weakly, pointing.

A deep, low growling rumbled from behind her.

Gulping, Sakura turned around.

Behind them stood three fully grown, very angry, Luxray.

_**To be Continued…**_

Author's Notes

Sorry for leaving it at a cliffhanger, but I really liked the effect. Hopefully, I'll update soon. Anyway, I want to know your opinion on something.

Who should be the one to have the Pokémon that hatches from the egg Sakura's going to get? (The entire group is going to help with it, so any of them could be there when it hatches.)

What should the Pokémon that hatches from it be? (I'd like it to be a Baby form, but it doesn't have to be.)


	5. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer**

Let me just start out with the standard Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, Pokemon, or any of the associated or mentioned franchises/companies, and I am not making a profit on this.

**Review Response**

This one's from Azn Lord:

_Many of the pokemon fics that I've read have the girls as coordinators and the guys as aspiring champions. I think that it would be interesting if the girls were tackling (no pun intended) gyms as well. They are usually given weak pokemon too and are usually pretty weak trainers. I'd be cool to see Sakura with a strong dragon type, or maybe a strong fighting type, seeing as she specializes in super-strength in shippuden aside from being a medic. many of the dragon types start out cute too, and would be a good choice as well. My personal favorite would be a garchomp (later) that would start as a gibble. Or maybe you could pair her up with a latias or a psychic type, seeing as she's really smart. Maybe and alakazam or my favorite psychic, a gallade. Even a gardvior would be good though. Thanks! Love your story already!_

Thank you for the review, Azn Lord. I'm not sure what to make everyone, actually. Naruto is definitely going to be an aspiring champion, and Sasuke will at least start out that way. I think Sakura will be a very versatile player, acting as a gym battler and a researcher, but might do a few coordinator jigs just to compete with Ino (I have no idea if she'll do well at Pokémon Coordination or not). I was planning on Sakura actually having an Elgyem; it seems to be an unusual Pokémon that a researcher would like. Gallade is a no, as my rules state that I won't use any Pokémon from Generations IV and V that evolve from or into a Pokémon from a younger Generation. I'm sorry.

Here's one from AtmaterasuIce:

_Naruto. Pichu egg._

So, that's one vote for the Egg being a Pichu and bonding with Naruto. Thanks.

This one's from AmaneSaphire:

_Your introduction of sakura I feel great, and I have several ideas that may be in the pokemon egg, maybe a Igglybuff, which I find very good option for her by her tenderness, another option could be a Luvdisc, a very nice aquatic pokemon that taking into account the first pokemon, it would be a perfect match. Another option that I would like would be a Skitty, but I say that I love this pokemon, they are perfect for the coordinators and all my options combined with Sakura's hair xD_

_Greetings from Peru._

Thank you. I am glad you liked my intro for Sakura. So you think the Egg should be an Igglybuff, Luvdisc, or Skitty? And I also guess you think that Sakura should at least do some work as a coordinator.

Pokémon Konoha

Chapter 4

The three lion-like Pokémon stared down at Sakura and the half-conscious boy with bloodlust in their eyes.

"Uh, n-nice kitties," Sakura said slowly, taking a step back. Her body tensed, preparing to turn and run. _No_, she thought, _any sudden movements and their instincts will tell them to attack. And I can't leave the good-looking boy._

"They're after me," the injured young man managed weakly. He tried to get up. "Take Bayushi and run while I-"

"I won't leave you," Sakura said firmly. "Even if I did run, they'd just attack."

The predators crouched down and raised their hindquarters, preparing to pounce.

"NO!" Sakura screamed, gripping the boy tightly.

The lead Luxray lunged "Lux-!"

"_**WAAAAA!**_**"**

"-ray!"

The beast hit the ground mid-jump in shock as the loudest, most ear-piercing, high pitched sound their every heard resounded out. The Luxray gripped its ears and rubbed its face in the ground, vainly trying to stifle the sound, its pack-mates did the same.

"_**WAAAA!**_**"**

Sakura cringed, recognizing the sound. It was Waterlily, crying out as loud as she could, startled by Sakura's own scream. Thanking God for the distraction, Sakura wasted no time in pulling the injured boy to his feet. "Come on!" Holding him up, she made way for her bike.

"_**WAAAAAA!**_**"**

"What the Houndoom is that!" he demanded, face contorted in pain. "It sounds like an Exploud using Uproar!"

"Close enough," Sakura shouted over the din. She managed to get her bike upright and swing a foot over it. "GET ON!"

"_**WAAAA! WAAAAAAAAA!**_**"**

The boy was able to pull himself on, his Eevee jumping into his backpack.

Out of the corner of her eye, Sakura saw that one of the Luxray noticed their prey was getting away and was alerting the others.

"Now hold on!" Sakura took off.

The boy almost fell off as she went forward. Luckily, Sakura grabbed his hand.

"I said Hold On!" she shouted, placing his hand on her side.

Clumsily, the boy wrapped his arms round her waist.

Roaring, the Luxray gave chaise.

"_**WAAAAAAAA!"**_

"How do you get it to shut up!" the good-looking boy screamed. He swore his ears were bleeding now.

"She cries herself to sleep or I sing to her," Sakura shouted back. "Are the Luxray still following us?"

A bolt of electricity narrowly missed their left flank.

"Never mind!" She cankered her bike to its highest gear and peddled as hard as she could.

"_WAAAAAAAAA!"_

It sounded like Waterlily was getting tired. Now Sakura could hear the Luxrays' growls and hisses. They didn't sound very far away.

"Are they gaining on us?" Sakura asked.

There was no response. Sakura noticed the boy's grip was slacking. He had lost consciousness.

"Shoot!" Grabbing his arm, Sakura tried to hold him up and speed down the road at the same time.

But she was starting to breathe hard, and her vision was blurring. Pretty soon, she wouldn't be able to keep going this fast. And the Luxray were getting closer.

Miraculously, Sakura spotted a cabin up ahead. _Don't worry_, she thought, _If we get in there, we're safe!_ Giving it all her strength, Sakura pushed forward.

30 feet to go; they could make it!

20 feet to go; almost there!

10 feet; they were going to make it! In spite of it all, Sakura laughed.

5 feet to go; Sakura felt her bike wrench out from beneath her, caught on something. It was held back while she was thrown forward.

BAM!

Her head connected with the cabin door after sliding on the ground for a few feet. As the darkness of unconsciousness claimed her, the last thing Sakura saw was the Luxray closing in on them. Her heart sank.

_Meanwhile, in another part of the forest…_

"_**WAAAAA!**_**"**

Naruto and Hinata both jumped, looking left and right as the Banshee-like shriek resounded. "What was that!"

"I-It s-sound like a b-banshee," Hinata shivered. Then she realized that she and Naruto had grabbed hold of each other in their shock. Blushing all over, she quickly released him and backed away.

The hellish wailing continued for a few more seconds before dying out.

"I w-wonder if it was someone being tortured," Hinata said, gulping.

Naruto thought for a few seconds. "Nah, probably just an Exploud."

"What would make a Pokémon scream like that?" Hinata pondered.

"Who knows," Naruto shrugged. "Maybe he walked in on his girlfriend in the arms of an Oddish or something?"

They both laughed at the thought.

"Come on," Naruto said, motioning with his hand, "We got a catch a Pokémon before sunset or we'll lose!"

Earlier in the day, Sasuke and he had gotten into an argument, Sasuke insisting that Naruto's big mouth was scaring all the Pokémon away and Naruto said that Sasuke was just being a jerk-face. The two continued to fight for about an hour, almost coming to blows before Hinata built up the courage to offer a suggestion. "You could have a c-contest," she had said.

Both boys actually stopped fighting and looked at her.

Hinata reasoned that the two could each try and catch a Pokémon before sundown.

Sasuke liked the idea so much he agreed right away, saying he'd meet them back at the rode by sundown…with a Pokémon way better then whatever Naruto was going to catch. So of course, Naruto was determined to catch the rarest Pokémon he could find.

Which would be a whole lot easier if he was just a little quieter.

"Come on, ya' stupid Pokémon, come out so I can catch you!" he shouted.

Sighing, Hinata just followed him quietly.

After a while, Naruto unexpectedly turned to her and asked, "So Hinata, what's your family like?"

Taken back, Hinata just stared at him, wondering where that question came from. "Uh..?"

"You don't have to answer if you don't want to," Naruto said, shrugging. "I was just asking to be polite. My mom always says that you shouldn't be the only one talking in a conversation. You need to ask your friends questions too. Since I already told you about my home-life (and more than a little about Sasuke's), I thought you'd want to talk about your own too. But you don't-"

"No, that's not it," Hinata said quickly, "I don't m-mind. I was just thinking to myself about, uh, things."

For a few moments, they were silent. Then it occurred to Hinata that she was supposed to be talking. "Oh r-right!" She blushed at how stupid she was being. "Well, um…well, let's see. I have a Father, a sister, and a cousin at home; no, that's not right. Neji Nii-San is on his Pokémon Journey now. So, I guess it's just Father and Hanabi at home…and the servants." Urg she was being so stupid! "A-Anyway, Father runs the Hyūga Family Dojo, one of the most p-prestigious Pokémon dojo's in the land. N-Not that I'm saying it's better than your family's training style," she added quickly, remembering how Naruto bragged about practicing Senjutsu, a martial art his Sage grandfather taught him, every night with his Riolu. (Though Sasuke pointed out that he's only had his Riolu for a few days, so practicing with it every night wasn't saying much.)

"I know," Naruto said, a little confused as to why she was being so nervous. "You're just being proud of your family's accomplishments. _I_ do that _all_ the time."

"I know," Hinata said under her breathe, but in a jealous, not resentful, way. He spoke so lovingly about every member of his family, it was clear how well connected they all were. Sighing, Hinata wished she could say the same about hers. But it was not to be. She wasn't talented like Hanabi, she wasn't strong and confident like Father, and she most certainly was not born with a special gift like Neji Nii-San. Heart sinking, Hinata reminded herself that she wasn't even pretty. That too was something Hababi was born with.

"So what's he like?" Naruto asked, ripping Hinata from her thoughts of self-pity. "Your dad?"

Gulping, Hinata thought for a moment, thinking about the most honorable and good traits her father had. "He…he's a talented trainer and a skilled martial artist. F-Father often fights with his Pokemon to teach them skill and fineness. He is determined and always pushes me to do better." _Because I always fail otherwise_. She paused for a moment. "And he's also an Aura Guardian."

"An Aura Guardian? Cool!" Naruto said, eyes widening. "I bet he's taught you all sorts of neat tricks! You don't even need a Pokémon to kick butt, do you?"

"N-N-No, that's not t-true," Hinata confessed, turning away. "Aura reading is something you need to be born with. I w-wasn't." There was limitless shame in her voice, as if it was a sin.

"Oh," Naruto said slowly, calming down from his excitement.

He wondered what he could say to change the subject. "Soooo…you think we'll ever find any Pokémon here?"

Right on cue, a big purple rat scurried out in front of them, a nut held in its teeth.

Squeaking with delight, Naruto pulled out his Pokédex. "Rattata, the Rat Pokémon," it chimed. "It eats everything and will chew on anything. Able to live in almost any non-artic environments, a Rattata will settle down anywhere it finds available food and start to produce offspring as quickly and numerously as possible. If you see one, there is a 90% chance that there are 40 or more in the area."

Naruto looked from his Pokédex to the Pokémon, disgusted. "A rat that multiplies like a cockroach? There's no way I'm adding it to my team." He pulled out Kata's Pokéball. "However," he added with a grin, "no point in letting easy EXP go to waste."

"N-Naruto, I don't think that a good-" Hinata began, but it was too late.

"Kata, take that rat out!" Naruto shouted, throwing the ball.

A flash of light, and his Riolu appeared in front of the Rattata, set in an aggressive stance. "Rio!"

The Rattata tumbled back, taken by surprise. "Rattata!"

"Kata, use Quick Attack before it gets away!" Naruto commanded, catching his Pokémon's Pokéball as it came back to him.

"Ri-lu!" Moving faster than Hinata had thought possible, Kata zipped around the Rattata and slammed a solid jab to its back.

"Raaaa!" it cried out in pain.

"That's it, Kata!" Naruto cheered.

The Rattata tried to bite down on Kata's arm, but he just moved back and then sent a quick kick to its head, sending it down to the dirt.

"Oh yeah!" Naruto jumped up, slapping his Pokémon on the back. "We win! We're the best, Kata!"

"Riolu!" Kata said, mimicking his trainer.

Hinata smiled, wondering how someone could be so hyped up after such a simple battle. Then movement out of the corner of her eye caught her attention. "Uh, N-Naruto," she said, tugging at his shirt. "I-I don't think it's over."

"Huh?" Naruto turned around, "What do…you…mean?"

Out of the bushes, several more Rattata started crawling out. "Raaaa!"

"I think you made them angry," Hinata squeaked, hiding behind Naruto.

To her surprise, Naruto just smirked. "Why should we be afraid of a bunch of Rattata?" He reached over and grabbed Hinata's hand. "We can take 'em!"

Hianta turned a deep shade of red. "N-Naruto!"

"Rio!" Kata stepped forward confidently.

"Come on, Hianta," Naruto smiled. "Let's show these rats that their messing with future Pokémon Masters!"

The edge of Hinata's mouth lifted in a grin. She reached to her belt and grabbed a Pokéball. "Okay," she whispered, suddenly feeling very confident. "Rhapsody, I choose you!"

_Meanwhile, at the cabin…_

Sakura felt numb and hot as she opened her eyes. She realized that the light in the room seemed harsh to her eyes, so she shut them tight. She tried to get up, but her side burned if she moved even a little. "Ooh."

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw someone move at the sound of her voice.

"Try not to move," he commanded, his voice even and firm. "You hit your head hard and you've got a nasty abrasion all along the right side of your body."

"Oh, where am I?" she asked, feeling sick. Then she remembered what happened. "The Luxray!" she screamed, eyes whipping open as she bolted up. "They were chasing us and-!" She gasped. "That boy and Waterliliy! What happened to-!"

"Don't worry, we're fine." He moved over to her, and Sakura as it was the handsome boy she had saved. "Now, lay down," he repeated firmly, holding out a damp towel for her forehead.

"Where's Waterlily?" Sakura insisted.

Eyes narrowing slightly, the boy just pointed. Following his figure, Sakura found her beloved Azurill sleeping peacefully next to her pillow.

Blushing, Sakura turned to say something, but as soon as she did, she found herself being pushed back down.

"Lay down," the boy repeated in a tone that would not be questioned.

Blushing even more, Sakura looked around. It seemed they were now in the cabin, an oil lamp and fireplace providing illumination. On a table, Sakura spotted what looked like the scattered contents of a traveler's backpack. Looking closely, she spotted a few items she was sure were hers.

Over to her left, what looked like a black, blue, and yellow lion cub slept on a blanket near the fireplace, the boy's Eevee sleeping next to it. It looked like it was in pain, and Sakura saw that it had several injuries treated and bandaged, the most apparent being a patch over its left eye.

"What happened?" she finally asked as the boy walked past her to check on the little lion. "The last thing I remember, we crashed outside the cabin and the Luxray where closing in on us."

After making sure the lion Pokémon was okay, the boy sat down next to the bed. "When I regained consciousness," he began, "we were just outside the cabin. I saw you knocked out with your Azurill crying and trying to get you up. Bayushi was pushing against my face, trying to wake me. Anyway, while I was still trying to figure out what happened, I heard this pained hissing from behind. I looked, and I see the Luxray just a few feet off, growling and sparking with lightning, but they weren't moving forward. Instead of asking questions, I ran and hauled you inside."

"Oh, well…" Sakura wondered what to say. "So…did you ever figure out why the Luxray didn't gut us?"

The boy reached over and pulled out a pamphlet. "I found this after rooting around. According to this," he unfolded it, "the Luxray are not a naturally occurring Pokémon in these parts. A few prides migrated from the West to this forest recently for unknown reasons. The Luxray stay in the deep woods, but occasionally wonder near the road. As such, cabins like these were built all along the Route to protect from them. Apparently, they have a special wiring all around them in the ground. When Electric-type Pokémon walk over the wires, it drains their electricity from them and then sends it back up to their nerves, causing them pain and partially immobilizing them."

"Lucky for us," Sakura said. Then she added, more than a little awkwardly, "By the way, my name's Sakura Haruno. Uh, thanks for saving my life."

The boy lifted an eyebrow and grunted, "Sasuke; and all I did was pull you inside. _You_ saved my neck."

"After I nearly made you road kill," Sakura pointed out. She laughed a bit, but stopped when she noticed Sasuke was coldly silent.

She looked at the little lion cub again. Something clicked, and Sakura suddenly noticed how very much it resembled a small Luxray. "Sasuke, what kind of Pokémon is that?"

Sighing, Sasuke just pulled out his Pokédex and handed it to Sakura. "Shinx, the Flash Pokemon. Shinx's forelegs have a special muscle system that generates electricity that it then channels through its claws, teeth, or tail. If threatened, a Shinx can channel electricity through its fur, causing it to light up and flash, dazzling the attacker as Shinx flees. Shinx evolves into Luxio and then into Luxray."

Sakura looked at the Shinx, and then at Sasuke. "Sasuke," Sakura asked slowly, hoping not to offend him, "where did you get this Shinx? You didn't-?"

"-steal it from its parents?" Sasuke completed her thought. "No. That's not why those Luxray where after me."

Sakura exhaled in relief. She would have been so mad if the Luxray had chased him down for catching their baby. "Then what happened?"

Sasuke looked at her for a moment and sighed. "My friend and I split up to see who could catch the best Pokémon. After a while, I saw a Shinx running away from a Luxio. Apparently, the Shinx had wondered into a rival pride's territory, and the Luxio was after him. Well, the Luxio caught him and attacked it brutally. After the beast slashed the Shinx on the eye, I decided to step in, sending out Bayushi and Togashi. -My Eevee and Charmander-" Sasuke explained when he noticed Sakura's questioning face. "Amway, after driving the Luxio off, I checked on the Shinx. He was in bad shape. So I caught him and planned on seeing if I could get him help. That's when the Luxio returned with its pride-mates. The rest," he concluded, "you already know."

Sakura look back over at the little Shinx. It really was in bad shape. "You know," she said with a little smile, "that was really brave of you, helping out that little Shinx."

Sasuke shrugged her complement off. "I just wanted a rare Pokémon."

Sakura pushed her blanket off. "Here, let me have a look at him."

"I already bandaged him up," Sasuke said.

"I can see that," Sakura said. She waved her hand over to the table where their belongings were scattered. "And you used some of my medical supplies to do it, by the looks of things."

Sasuke blushed slightly. "I didn't mean to-"

"Don't worry," Sakura cut him off, "that's what their there for. Anyway, you patched him up, but I still want a look. I am trained in Pokémon medicine by Professor Tsunade, you know."

His eyes widened a bit.

"Surprised?" she asked brightly, wondering if he had written her off as a silly girl that liked cutesy Pokémon and not someone with a near prodigy-level intellect.

"Now, if you could just hold him lightly, I can check him out." Sasuke obeyed soundlessly as Sakura leaned over the Shinx.

"So, let's see." She felt its limbs and ribs. "Hmm, no broken bones. That's good. He doesn't feel hot, so I don't think it has a fever. Let's have a look at that eye."

Sasuke tightened his grip on his Shinx as Sakura carefully lifted the patch. After a while, she smiled. "It's just a surface scratch," she said, "he'll see just fine. All he needs now is some rest."

Sighing with relief, Sasuke let the Shinx go. "Good," he breathed.

"So, anyway, what are you going to name him?" Sakura asked.

Sasuke thought for a few seconds. "Akodo." He was quiet for a few more seconds before saying, "I need to find Naruto and Hinata. They don't know about the Luxray." He started for the door.

"Wait!" Sakura shouted, blocking his way. "I know you're worried about your friends, but it's too dangerous to go out there!"

"I'll be fine." He moved to pass her.

"Please! Stop being macho! You don't need to risk your life," Sakura pleaded. "Look, does your friend have a Pokénav? If he does, you can call him on mine." She grabbed her pink nav on the table and held it out.

Sasuke took it and flipped open the phone. Sakura sighed with relief. Then she noticed that he was just staring at the screen.

"Uh, you press the buttons there to dial," she said, pointing.

Sasuke still looked at the screen. "I don't know his number," he finally confessed. Then Sakura had to jump forward as he made for the door again.

"Why do you keep blocking me, you annoying girl!" he growled in frustration.

"Because I don't want you to get killed!" Sakura growled in turn.

"I'll. Be. Fine." he said stubbornly.

"You were nearly killed last time," Sakura snapped, "what are you going…to…do…this...time?"

She noticed that he was holding a spray can up to her face, on which were the words, 'Luxray Repellent,' were written in big yellow letters.

"Where did you get that?" Sakura asked, dumbfounded.

He rolled his eyes. "The cabin's full of them."

"Oh…"

_Meanwhile, in another part of the forest…_

A rush of water slammed into a Rattata, knocking it back. The stream continued, blasting into two more.

"Good job, Rhapsody!" Hinata called.

Hissing, one of the Rattata called to the others, and they started to retreat.

"Yeah, you better run!" Naruto shouted. He turned to Hinata, and grabbed her. "We did it! We did it! We did it!" he sang, dancing around with her. Hinata felt dizzy, but not from the spinning. "We so ROCK!" he finally said, letting her go.

Rhapsody, seeing someone else dancing, grabbed Kata and mimicked Nartuo and Hinata, much to the Riolu's chagrin. "Tototototototo di!"

The trainers returned their Pokémon to their Pokéballs. "You were awesome, Hinata," Naruto proclaimed with a grin.

"I-I didn't do that m-much," Hinata stuttered, suddenly feeling very self-conscious and no longer confident.

"Don't be modest!" he said, clapping her back. "You and your Totodile took out most of the Rattata. At this rate, you'll be a Pokémon Master in no time!"

This shocked Hinata. A Pokémon Master? She could never be one. She never even thought of it. The only thing she ever wanted was to make her father proud of her, and that was a lofty dream as is. But a Pokémon Master; did she even want to be one?

"Hinata, look!"

Shaken from her thoughts, Hinata saw Naruto pointing at something. Following his finger, she saw he was pointing at a big caterpillar-like Pokémon that was crawling up a tree trunk.

"Quick, Hinata," Naruto whispered urgently, as if they had snuck up on a rare and exotic animal, "your Pokédex!"

She pulled it out so quickly it almost fell out of her hands. "Caterpie, the Worm Pokémon," it chimed. "Caterpie have suction cups on their feet that enable them to climb up trees and feed on the freshest and most nourishing leaves. A single Caterpie can eat almost its own weight in leaves in a single setting. Eventually, it will use its silk to weave itself into a cocoon."

Hinata smiled. The Caterpie looked kind of cute to her, even though it was a giant bug.

"My Mom caught one of those when she started out," Naruto whispered giddily, pulling out a Pokéball. "She said it was one of the best early Pokémon she had."

The Caterpie, who had been ignoring the strange creatures on the ground as it climbed up the tree to the sweet leaves above (a far more interesting thing, in its mind), noticed the loud strange creature take out a Pokéball, and guessed what was going to happen next. So it did the one thing any sensible Caterpie could do in its situation: panic.

"EEEEEEEE!" Letting out a high pitched squeal, the Caterpie dropped to the ground and scampered to the bushes at a most impressive speed for a little worm.

Shocked, Naruto watched as it disappeared into the forage. "Hey, where do you think you're goin'!" he demanded, diving into the bushes after it. "Come back here so I can catch you!"

Not sure what to do, Hinata watched as the two tore through the bushes, Naruto screaming threats and swears and the Caterpie screaming screams. She didn't know which one she should be rooting for.

PSHHHH!

From the bush, Hinata heard Naruto spit and sputter. "URGH! Why you little-!"

The Caterpie burst from the bush and squirmed away as fast as it could. Close behind him, Naruto stumbled out, scrapped and cut up from the bush's thorns and covered with sticky silk. "Come back here you little Pipsqueak and fight like a man!"

As the Caterpie was about to get away, something long and brown leapt out in front of it.

The Caterpie froze in terror as the long, weasel-like Pokémon looked down on the little bug, rubbing its paws together. Clearly, it thought it found a tasty treat.

"What's that?" Naruto asked, pulling out his Pokédex.

"Furret, the Long Body Pokémon. The evolved form of Sentret. Furret's short limbs beguile its outstanding speed and agility, as its long form allows it to leap and outmaneuver its prey, such as Rattata. Its slim build also allows it to sneak through cracks and narrow spaces to avoid enemies. The twisting nests of Furrets are built to their shape, allowing them to live safely out of harm's reach."

"Oh no!" Hinata shrieked, hands on her mouth.

Looking up, Naruto saw that the Furret was now in quick pursuit of the Caterpie, which was now moving even faster than when Naruto had chased it. "EEEEEE!"

"Hey! Whatta' think you're doing!" Naruto shouted, jumping up. "That's _**my**_ first Pokémon, not your lunch!"

In an instant, the Furret had caught its prize. "Furret," it said happily, lifting the struggling caterpillar up to its mouth, not minding its screaming.

Much to both Naruto's and the Furret's surprise, a Pokéball hit the Caterpie just as the Furret was going to take a bite. The worm Pokémon dissolved into the ball with a flash of light. The Pokéball shook for a few seconds before going still with a ping.

Both Naruto and the Furret turned in the direction the ball and been thrown from. Hinata was standing there, blushing. "Ehhehe…" she chucked nervously.

The Furret glared down on the lowly female that dare steal its prey. "FUUurrrrrREET," it growled, advancing.

"Oh no you don't!" Naruto said, jumping in-between them. "Think you can upstage me and then threaten my friends? Think again!"

He threw a Pokéball at the Furret, who batted it back at Naruto, hitting him in the crotch. "Ret!

"Aaaaahh!" Naruto's voice was very high as he fell to the ground.

"Naruto, are you okay?" Hinata asked, shocked beyond belief.

"Oh, you've done it now," Naruto growled, voice still high, pulling out Kata's Pokéball. "I'll turn you into a scarf!" A flash of light, and Naruto's trusty Riolu appeared.

"Rio!" Kata shouted, glaring at the Furret.

"Take that Ekans in mammal's clothing out with Quick Attack!" Naruto ordered.

Kata rushed at the long Pokémon, but it nimbly dodged to the side and smacked him with its tail.

"Fur-fur-fur-ret," it taunted in singsong.

"LU!" taking the bait, Kata launched a flurry of blows. But the Furret dipped, ducked, dived, deflected, and dodged each attack with ease.

"Keep up the offense!" Naruto cheered, thinking he was winning. "You'll hit him eventually!"

Bored with its foe, the Furret wrapped up Kata with its long body. Then, as the Riolu struggled, the Furret playfully rolled onto the ground, landing on its back and flinging Kata into the air. As the Riolu fell back down, the Furret smacked him hard with its talk, sending him headed straight for a nearby tree.

"Kata!" Naruto shouted.

For some reason, Kata's eyes glowed slightly blue. "Rio." Spinning into the throw, it hit the tree with its feet and then launched right back at the Furret, who was still prone on the ground from its last attack.

"Riolu!" Kata shouted, hitting his foe in the stomach with all its bodyweight.

"Whoa," Naruto said, dumbstruck. "What was that?"

"Counter," his Pokédex chimed. "Using the momentum and strength from its opponent's last attack, Riolu turns the force back at its enemy to do double the damage."

"Reeett!" the Furret screamed in pain, clumsily leaping up.

"Naruto, the P-Pokéball; quick!" Hinata stuttered, pointing.

"Oh, right." Naruto was so excited that he dropped the ball. Scooping it up, he turned his hat back, put both he feet down firmly, and threw it. "Pokéball, go!"

Hitting Furret head-on, the Pokéball opened up and sucked in the glowing Pokémon. Naruto held his breath as the ball shook back and forth. After a few seconds, it stilled and dinged shut.

"Yeah!" Naruto ran forward and grabbed the Pokéball. "I caught a Furret!" Laughing, he threw the ball into the air and caught it, striking a pose.

"Ri-Ri!" Kata chimed, mimicking his owner's pose.

"G-Good job, N-Naruto," Hinata said. Much to her shock, Naruto grabbed her and started doing the Snoopy happy dance.

"N-N-Naruto, p-please!"

"Hey, that's right," the young trainer said, ending his dance abruptly. "You caught that Caterpie."

"Oh!" Hinata quickly picked up the Pokéball containing the Caterpie and held it out. "Here."

Naruto looked at Hinata with confusion. "What are you doing?"

Turning red, Hinata turned her face away, still holding the Pokéball out. "Y-You wanted to c-catch it."

Smiling, Naruto pushed the Pokéball back to her. "No," he said firmly, "You caught it fair and square, Hinata. You keep it."

Smiling gently, Hinata held the ball close. "Thank you," she said softly.

"Hey, no problem," he grinning, "You earned it. Besides," he added, looked at the Pokéball that held his Furret, "I caught a Furret!"

"A Furret, eh?" a steady male voice said, coming from behind.

"Yeah I did Sasuke!" Naruto responded, whipping around, recognizing that voice anywhere.

Sasuke walked towards them with Bayushi faithfully at his heels, a slight grin on his face. Next to him was a pink haired girl that Naruto thought was very pretty.

"I thought you went to look for a Pokémon, not a girlfriend," Naruto said, running up to meet her. "Though, considering how cute she is, 'can't blame ya." He flashed a charming smile.

"She's not my girlfriend," Sasuke said stoically as Sakura took a step away from Naruto, looking disgusted. "Sakura, meet the Idiot and Hinata. The Idiot and Hinata, meet Sakura."

"Hello," Hinata said with a bow.

"Don't call me an Idiot!" Naruto shouted, stomping his feet. He turned to Sakura. "I'm Naruto Uzumaki, son of Minato Uzumaki and soon-to-be Pokémon League Champion! Feel free to send me a love letter later."

As Sakura said something along the lines of 'stay five feet away from me at all times, you maniac,' Sasuke noticed that Hinata seemed to deflate as she watched Naruto's poorly thought-out pick-up attempts. He made a note of it.

"So, what are you going to name your Furret?" he asked, stepping between Naruto and Sakura before the girl killed the boy.

Blinking, Naruto thought for a little bit. "Ummm…"

"How about Puck?" Sakura suggested.

"Puck?" Naruto asked, cocking his head. "What's that mean?"

"Puck was the Trickster sprite from Shakespeare's 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'," Sakura explained.

"Hmm, I like it," Naruto mussed. "Whoa, you're as smart as you are pretty!"

Once again, Sasuke noticed Hinata sink down at Naruto's clear infatuation.

"I-I caught a Caterpie," she stuttered, holding out the Pokéball. Sasuke wondered if she was trying to change the subject.

"Did you think of a name of it?" Naruto asked.

"I think I'll call him Waltz," Hinata said, smiling a little.

"Now that we've shown the Pokémon we caught," Naruto said, turning to Sasuke, "How about you show off whatever it is you caught…or were you too distracted by a _girl_?"

Sasuke chuckled a little. "Boy, have I got a story for you."

Author's Notes

Sorry for taking so long to update, but I was having a lot of trouble writing it out so that I liked it. Anyway, I've got a few questions that I want you to answer.

I still don't know what Pokemon the egg will have in it, or who it will belong to. One vote was for Naruto and Pichu, and another for Sakura and Igglybuff, Luvdisc, or Skitty. If you have any ideas, tell me.

Next chapter, Sakura gets to catch her first Pokémon! What should it be?

I want some ideas for rivals. Right now, I think Kiba would be a good one, but I need more.

I want ideas for Gym Leaders and their Pokémon. I plan on having more than eight gyms, and multiple gyms of the same type. The first one I thought the heroes would face would be Iruka using Poison Types (like Nidoran male and female). Another idea I had would be Karin uses Psychic types (like Gothorita and Jynx). If you have any other ideas (or you don't like mine), please let me know.

I want to know what Hinata's goal should be. Should she want to be a Pokémon Coordinator, a Breeder, try to find a way to learn Aura arts so she can make her father proud of her, or something else? I don't know. I want to know what you think.


	6. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer**

Let me just start out with the standard Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, Pokemon, or any of the associated or mentioned franchises/companies, and I am not making a profit on this.

**Review Response**

This one's from xXKiraUzumakiXx:

_Iruka using poison types? Now there's something you don't see everyday. I say go for it. It sounds like pretty good idea. As for Naruto and Sakura's partners, I'd say Sakura should catch something strong and elegant like a Finneon, or a Ponyta. Naruto's egg could hatch into dragon like Bagon, or steel type Shieldon._

_I think I'll keep my eye on this story-it's pretty interesting, I'm always glad to read the works of another fellow Christian, and I'm big fan of NaruHina and SasuSaku as well._

_Keep up the good work. ^^_

Thank you for the review, xXKiraUzumakiXx. I'm glad to find another Christian, and I'm glad you like my story. I hope you continue to like it.

Here's one from AtmaterasuIce:

_Rivals go like this._

_Sakura: ino and karin_

_Sasuke: neji and gaara_

_Hinata:tenten and temari?_

_Naruto kiba and shikamaru_

_Sakura should catch a shellos or hapiny or smoggy._

_Very good chap_

Thanks for your review again, AtmaterasuIce. You're such a faithful reader. I like a lot of your ideas.

This one's from Emmerlaus:

_I sent you a message on Atomic Think Tank for the review of your fanfic…Not bad, by the way!_

Thank you, my friend. Your advice was most helpful. I'm also glad you started writing yourself.

Wynth's review was so long, that I desided to just respond without posting it.

Thank you so much for your ideas. I'll have to send you a PM about them all. Thanks again.

Pokémon Konoha

Chapter 5

"Ah, after all that walking, nothing beats a bath." Enjoying the cool water, Sakura sank down deeper into the river. "Don't you think so, Waterlily?"

"Zurill-zu!" her sweet natured Pokémon agreed, floating atop her tail merrily.

She had been traveling with the group for 2 days now, and had found it was actually quiet fun. Sure, that idiot Naruto could really get on her nerves, but he had learned when to leave her alone pretty quickly. After all, Tsunade had taught her how to punch like a Hitmonchan. And getting the chance to be around the ever-so-cute Sasuke was worth putting up with that annoying blond. Sure, Sasuke didn't say much, but Sakura was sure he at least enjoyed her company. After all, she did save his life. That had to count for something, right?

"This is really nice, Sakura," Hinata said, enjoying the chance to have some 'girl-time' with someone. It was such a change from what she was used to. Ever sense Mother died, it was hard for Hinata to be just a normal girl. Father was always demanding that she be prim and proper, and aside from Hanabi, who was too young for her to do much with other than style hair (which Hanabi and her loved doing with Neji Nii-San's long hair when he slept, much to his horror), Hinata didn't really have any female friends…or male ones, for that matter. "So, w-where are you planning on going on your journey?"

"Well, my teacher sent me to Teal Town so I can retrieve a Pokémon Egg from Iruka Umino," Sakura said, "then she wants me to catch and raise a team of Pokémon; find out what I want to do. So I think I'll challenge a few gyms and enter some other contests; see what I like."

"You sound very positive," Hinata pointed out, smiling slightly. "I guess you must be confident you'll do good."

"Why not? I have my Pokémon," Sakura responded casually, "and now I've got friends to help me." Blushing in a girly way, she added, "and besides, I'm sure Sasuke'll protect me from anything bad."

Sinking in the water, Hinata muttered, "I wish Naruto would protect me…"

"What was that, Hinata?"

"Uh-!"

"Dile to-to Dile!" Splashing wildly, Rhapsody twirled around in the water between the two girls.

"Argh!" Sakura glared at the blue crocodile. "Stop that! Rrr, you're just as bad as Naruto, you little troublemaker!"

"Rhapsody," Hinata sighed. "Could you please tone it down? We're talking." She turned to Sakura. "He just wants to play; he means no harm."

Sakura nodded. "You're right." She looked at Waterlily. "Why don't you two play over there?"

"Azurill!" Joyfully, the little water Pokémon jumped off her tail, splashing Rhapsody and swimming off, laughing. The Totodile swam after her.

Sakura shook her head, grinning. "They're just like little kids."

The girls watched as Waterlily and Rhapsody had a water-war.

After a while, Hinata looked down the river, where it bent out of sight, hidden by the forest foliage. "I-I wonder how the boys are doing?"

Grinning mischifly, Sakura leaned in close, and whispered, "Wanna take a peek?"

"NO!"

_Meanwhile, just around the river bend…_

"-and that's why I like Sakura so much," Naruto concluded, nodding proudly.

"You're an idiot," Sasuke responded coolly, watching as Bayushi floated gently along on his back. "You've known her for, what, a day? And she's punched you out twice now."

"Hey, girls have trouble understanding their emotions, so they hurt the boys they really like," Naruto countered, "so there!"

"That's what boys do, you dope," Sasuke said. "I repeat: You're an idiot. Besides," he added, "what's so great about the girl?"

Naruto scowled. "What's not great about her? After all," he added with a foxlike smile, "she charmed you into inviting her to hang with us."

"I did that because the Luxray fried her bike when they couldn't kill us," Sasuke growled, smacking Naruto's shoulder. "Besides, she saved my life, so we owe her that much."

"See," Naruto said, "Sakura's great to have around! And she's so pretty!"

"And what's Hianta, a Weezing?" Sasuke asked slyly.

"Hey, I didn't say that!" Naruto shouted defensively. "I-I mean, sure, she's pretty cute, I guess, especially if she learned to smile for once, but Sakura is just so- -hey! Why are you asking me anyway!" Naruto screwed up his face in thought for a few seconds. "Oh, I get it!"

_Finally_, Sasuke thought.

Craftily, Naruto leaned in close. "I always thought you had a thing for dark-haired girls." He elbowed his friend in the side.

Sasuke clenched his teeth, feeling his anger rise. "You Imbecilic!" he shouted, grabbing Naruto by the neck and dunking his head in the water. "Did your Mother drink drain cleaner when she was pregnant!"

Struggling up, Naruto pushed Sasuke off him. "Hey, cool it!" he said, breathing in deep. "Don't worry, your secret's safe with me!"

"Dope," Sasuke said darkly, glaring. The he added, with a cruel smile, "Besides, I don't even like brunets; now redheads, on the other hand…"

"My Mom's a redhead!" Naruto pointed out in disgust.

"That's why I like redheads," Sasuke said playfully.

"That's my Mother you're talking about!" Naruto shouted, getting up in Sasuke's face.

"And she's hotter than a supermodel tied to a burning stake!" Sasuke laughed. "Too bad you didn't get her looks."

Unfortunately for the boys, they were so close to blows that they didn't notice a pair of orange pincers rising up from the water right behind Naruto. They rubbed together eagerly, and then pinched down hard on Naruto's orange-swimsuit clad bottom.

"GHAAHH!"

Screaming loudly, Naruto jumped up into Sasuke's arms. "Something bit me!"

"OFF ME!" Sasuke shouted, pushing Naruto's face. The blond, however, wrapped his arms around Sasuke's neck and held tight.

"It's still in there!" Naruto whined, scanning the water for any sign of his assailant.

"There is nothing in there!" Sasuke hissed, looking at the water.

Behind him, a pair of orange pincers rose out of the water slowly.

"It was just your imagina- -GHAAHH!"

Sasuke jumped a clean three feet out of the water, and landed back down with a great splash.

Both boys resurfaced, sputtering and gasping for air.

"See! There _**is**_ something after us!" Naruto said, looking left and right, "I told you!"

"Shut up and look for it!" Sasuke ordered.

"Did you see what it was?" Naruto asked as he went back-to-back with Sasuke.

"Nah, it came at me from behind," Sasuke said. "Bayushi, did you-?" He turned to see his Eevee leap out of the water.

"Vee vee," Bayushi cried out, shaking his fur dry and running off to the where the girls were.

"Traitor!" Naruto and Sasuke shouted at the Pokémon's retreating form, not paying attention to their now unguarded backsides.

SNAP

SNAP

"GHAAHH!"

Jumping up, the boys spun around, now seeing their assailant for the first time.

"Cookie-coo cookie!" An orange, crablike Pokémon laughed at the pair, flexing its pincers.

"So you're the little terror that's been messing with us!" Naruto exclaimed, moving to the shore. He reached over and grabbed his Pokédex.

"Krabby, the River Crab Pokémon. Aside from being weapons, Krabby uses its pincers to balance itself as it runs sideways. These hardy Pokémon have strong shells, and if their pincers are damaged or even lost in battle, new ones will grow back. Krabby are territorial and fight over terrain."

"The little monster's laughing at us!" Naruto exclaimed, reaching for a club-like tree branch.

"No," Sasuke said as he took the club from Naruto just as he was about to turn the Krabby into a crab cake. "As appealing as smashing it may seem, the Pokémon is just protecting its territory. We can't blame it for that."

"Coo!" The Krabby shot a stream of bubbles right into Sasuke's face.

"YOU'RE GONNA DIE, CRAB!" Heaving the tree branch up, Sasuke swung it wildly, only for the crab Pokémon to dive out of sight in the water.

"Get 'em! Get 'em! Get 'em!" Naruto shouted, jumping up and down.

SPLASH! SPLASH! SPLASH!

Sasuke swung the club again and again, but the Krabby just kept dodging it, enjoying the game of whack-a-Krabby.

_Meanwhile, looking once more just around the river bend_

Sakura winced as she heard Naruto's shouting. "What is that brat doing?" she hissed.

"D-Don't be that way," Hinata began, but was subsequently drowned out by:

"**DIE, DEMON CRAB, DIE!"**

Cringing, Hinata sank deeper into the water and avoided making eye contact with Sakura.

Sighing, Sakura leaned back and closed her eyes, trying to ignore the boys' noise. Much to her surprise, a cold nose pressed against her forehead. "What the-!"

"VEE!"

Flipping up and around, Sakura saw the culprit was Sasuke's prize Pokémon, looking wet and sad. "Eevee!" he squeaked.

"Oh, Bayushi, you startled me," Sakura sighed, demeanor changing from angry to sweet, "did mean ol' Naruto's splashing scare you away?"

"Vee," Bayushi cried, shaking his white coat and making his eyes as big as possible.

Smiling, Sakura got out of the water. "You poor cutie, let's get you dried off. Would you like that, Sweetheart?"

"Eevee!" Bayushi cheered, glad to be pampered by any girl.

"We should be getting out now, anyway," Hinata said, eager to help Sakura. Bayushi was such a _**cute**_ Pokémon, any girl couldn't help but want to faun over him; something the Eevee adored. "Come on, you two," she added, calling to Rhapsody and Waterlily.

The pair climbed out the river reluctantly.

Taking out the towels, Hinata and Sakura went to work, carefully rubbing down Bayushi, and then, to make sure she wouldn't get jealous, Waterlily too. Hinata tried to do the same to Rhapsody, but the little croc fled as soon as he saw what they were planning to do.

"Some Water Pokémon hate drying off the same way some little kids hate baths," Sakura explained, finishing up with Waterlily's ears.

"But he needs too," Hinata insisted, groaning as the Totodile dove back into the river and stuck out his tongue. "He might catch a cold otherwise!"

Giving Waterlily a kiss and setting her up for a nap, Sakura rolled her eyes. "One, Water Types live in water, so I don't think they'd be cold in a river, and two, you can't catch a cold from being cold; it's caused by a virus."

"Come back here, Rhapsody," Hinata demanded, stomping her foot, "I just finished drying off. Don't make me come in there after you, mister!"

"Just recall him back to his Pokéball," Sakura suggested.

"Vee," Bayushi agreed, wanting the girls to stop paying attention to the childish Totodile and do something more important; namely, pay attention to _him_.

"If I do that, he'll learn that it's okay not to come when I call him," Hinata responded in a maternal way. "He needs to learn to listen when I call."

"I suppose…" Tsunade had taught Sakura that same thing when she first started taking care of Waterlily.

After some coaxing, Hinata managed to get Rhapsody out of the water by telling him that they wouldn't get to play later if he didn't get out now.

"Now, how about we comb Bayushi's fur?" Sakura suggested, holding up a brush.

"Eevee!" Bayushi jump between the girls happily, purring loudly.

The two girls were about to start the grooming when suddenly: "Duck-duck Ducklett."

Jumping up, both Sakura and Hinata jerked their heads in the direction of the strange quacking.

A blue duckling-like Pokémon, with fluffy lower plumage that slightly resembled a floatation device, floated down the river. It quacked merrily as it swam along, following the current downstream.

"Oh, a Ducklett," Sakura said, taking out her Pokédex as the duck Pokémon stopped to preen its feathers.

"Ducklett, the Water Bird Pokémon. Ducklett are talented divers that underwater to get their favorite food, peat moss. If attacked, Ducklett will release a spray of water from its feathers to distract the predator while it flees."

Hinata watched the quacking Pokémon as it dove underwater, resurfacing with a mouthful of moss. "It's pretty cute-looking," she commented.

"According to the Pokédex, Ducklett are pretty rare in these parts," Sakura said, taking out a Pokéball. "I'm going to catch it!" she declared, throwing the ball.

Just as it was about to hit the Pokémon, however, the Ducklett dove underwater.

"Darn it!" Sakura hissed.

The Ducklett resurfaced, hitting its head against the Pokéball. Shocked, it looked left around, and noticed the two trainers on the shore.

Quacking up a storm, the Ducklett fled downstream, swimming as fast as it could.

"Hey, get back here!" Sakura shouted, scooping up Waterlily and giving chase.

"Sakura!" Hinata shouted, "You forgot your Pokéball!" Luckily, it had floated over to the shore, so Hianta grabbed it and ran after her.

For a few seconds, Bayushi just sat alone, eyes wide like a lost puppy. What could be so important about that dumb ol' duck that they'd just leave cute little _**him**_?

"Eevee!" Jumping up, Bayushi chased after them. He'd be darned if a duck upstaged him!

_Meanwhile, just around the river bend…_

"We've got you now!" Naruto laughed. Both he and Sasuke had cornered the wretched Krabby, clubs raised high.

"Any last words?" Sasuke asked, grinning sadistically.

"…Cookie-cookie?" the Krabby croaked, shrugging its pincers.

"Yeah, yeah," Naruto said, "Listen; hold still and we'll make this fairly quick."

Suddenly, a webbed foot hit Naruto square in the face, causing him to tumble back in shock.

"What the Houndoom was that?"

"Waterlily, use Bubble!"

Naruto was just getting back up when an array of glass-like bubbles came at him, forcing him to drop down back into the water.

He resurfaced just in time to see Sakura running after a duck-like Pokémon, Hinata close behind. What really caught his attention, though, was that both girls were only in their swimsuits.

"Whoa, wait up!" Naruto shouted, clumsily getting to his feet. "What's going on?" Turning to Sasuke, he asked, "You know what's going on?"

"He dove under when we were distracted," Sasuke responded, not looking up as he scanned the water, branch ready. "Help me find him!"

Naruto slapped him on the face. "Two hot chicks in nothing but swimsuits just ran past us and you're looking for a Krabby? What kind of man are you?"

Shocked, Sasuke took a step back. "B-But-"

"Screw the Krabby!" Naruto shouted, grabbing Sasuke by the shoulders and shaking him. "We've got more important things to worry about- -like finding out what's up with Sakura and Hinata!"

Sasuke opened his mouth to say something, but just then, Bayushi ran past them, "Vee-vee eev!" he shouted in a mocking tone.

"See!" Naruto pointed out, waving his hand. "Even your Eevee wants to follow the girls. Now come on!" He clambered out to shore, grabbed his belt of Pokéballs and his Dex, handed Sasuke's his, and then started off.

"Wait! Our stuff!" Sasuke shouted as they started after the girls. He looked back at their assorted belonging scattered out in the open, just waiting to be stolen.

"No prob," Naruto said, taking a Pokéball from his belt. "Puck, I choose you!"

A flash, and his Furret appeared, looking up at them with wide eyes.

"Puck," Naruto ordered, "Keep an eye on our stuff. Got that?"

"Fur," he responded, standing up strait and doing a salute.

"Good man," Naruto said, grabbing Sasuke. "Let's go!"

"Naruto, Puck's the worst Pokémon to watch our stuff," Sasuke said, watching as the Furret staked a ladybug that was going away from their site, paying attention to nothing around it. But, to his dismay, Naruto had already started dragging him away.

OoOoO

As soon as the two trainers were out of sight, Puck looked up, and grinned. Bounding over to their packs, he started rooting through one of them, pulling out a bag of cookies.

Yelping with delight, Puck sniffed the bag, and started pulling at it. It didn't open.

Scratching his head, Puck grabbed the bag pondered what to do. Remembering that his owner did something like pull it in two directions, Puck tried to do it with his front legs…only to find it harder to do than it looked.

Screaming, the Furret tossed the bag to the ground and jumped on it, yanking at one end with his teeth, tugging and pulling like his life depended on it!

Tug, tug, tug, tug, tug, tug, tug, tug; why wouldn't it open and yield its yummy goodness?

"Cookie?"

Screaming bloody murder, Puck jumped a clean three feet into the air from shock alone. Without missing a beat, he dived behind his owner's backpack as soon as he landed, peering out at whatever it was.

The Krabby from earlier had crawled up on shore, watching the stupid Furret for as long as he could bear. "Cookie-cookie," he said, strutting forward forward and extending a claw.

Slowly, Puck rose up from his hiding spot, looking at the river crab with big eyes. Then he smiled, licking his lips.

OoOoO

_Meanwhile, back to our female heroes…_

"Use Bubble again," Sakura commanded.

Waterlily, who was still in Sakura's arms, opened her mouth and loosed a barrage of glassy bubbles at the feeling Ducklett.

Just as they were about to hit, the bird Pokémon took off, flying into the forest.

"No you don't!" Sakura shouted, running after it.

A little while later, Hinata showed up, huffing and puffing. "S-Sakura," she heaved, looking left and right, "Where…Where d-did you go?"

She leaned down onto her knees, wiping the sweat from her brow. _Sakura could run fast when she wanted to!_

"Vee," a small voice from behind called.

Hinata turned around to see Bayushi bounding to her. The sweet Pokemon jumped right into her lap, rubbing up to her and purring.

"You are so sweet," Hinata said, stroking the Eevee. "It seems Sakura's vanished. Do you think you can help me find her?"

"Vee!" Bayushi jumped and twirled around. Yes! The sooner they find her, the sooner they could focus on more important things; like _pampering_ him!

Bayushi sniffed the air, and then started off, catching Sakura's scent.

"W-Wait for me!" Hinata shouted, running after him.

Shortly after, Naruto ran up, dragging Sasuke. "Shoot, I saw Hinata go this way with Bayushi, but I didn't see Sakura."

"You could always call her on her on the Pokénav," Sasuke suggested.

"Good idea," Naruto said. His smile faded. "…only, I left it at the river. Don't worry," he added, "I'll just go get it and-"

"Don't bother," Sasuke pointed out, grabbing Naruto by the arm, "Sakura probably forgot hers too." He growled in aggravation. "We'll have to do this the old-fashioned way. You go get Hinata and then come right back here," he said, pointing. "I'll see if I can find Sakura."

Before Naruto could complain that he wanted to be the one to save Sakura, Sasuke stalked off.

_Meanwhile, in a part of the forest not too distant…_

"We've got it now, Waterlily," Sakura grinned, watching as the Ducklett landed just beyond her sight. She picked up the pace.

"Eugene, attack that Ducklett with Furry Swipes!"

Sakura froze. She recognized that voice.

The sound of a hissing cat and the Ducklett quacking in panic reached Sakura's ears, breaking her from her stupor. Shaking her head, Sakura jumped through the bushes, and saw what she was dreading.

There stood Ino Yamanaka, Sakura's eternal rival, commanding a beautiful purple, cat-like Pokémon Sakura recognized as a Purrlion. The Ducklett was on the floor, clearly defeated. Taking out a Pokéball, Ino kissed it then pitched it gracefully. "Ducklett, you're mine!"

The Pokéball hit head on, absorbing the Ducklett and shaking two times before dinging.

"Got 'cha," Ino chuckled contently, swaggering on over and scooping the Pokéball of her newly caught Ducklett up. "Welcome to my team, my…Odette," she said, naming her catch easily. Ino looked up, and noticed Sakura for the first time.

"Well-well, if it isn't Sakura," she said with a sneer. She looked Sakura over, and the girl became aware that she was in nothing but her swimsuit. "I'm disappointing in you, Sakura. I know you're not that pretty, but really, even I wouldn't walk around dressed as scantily as that. And unlike you, I have a figure"

"I was swimming," Sakura retorted. "Then that Ducklett swam along and I chased it! I was about to catch it when you butted in!"

Ino raised an eyebrow. "Oh, really? Well, too bad; cause I caught her first," she said, tossing up the Pokéball and catching it right in front of Sakura's face. "But I'm sure you've caught plenty of other Pokémon already."

Sakura swallowed hard.

Ino's smile became venomous. "You haven't caught a single Pokémon yet, have you, Billboard Brow?"

"Uh…"

Ino threw her head back and laughed. "Ahahah! I can't believe you, Sakura! I started out three days ago, and I already have three Pokémon!"

Sakura felt her face turn red. "I was distracted," she said slowly through grit teeth. "I…I was busy saving a boy!" She thought for a moment, and then added, "A gorgeous boy!"

This made Ino laugh even harder. "Oh really? Where is he, then?" She looked around mockingly, as if a handsome prince would just pop out and surprise her.

At her feet, Ino's Purrlion put a paw in front of his mouth and chucked mockingly, mimicking his master.

"See, even Eugene's laughing at you," Ino said, pointing. "Really, this is just sad. The only Pokémon that would go with you is the one given to you!"

Sakura's temper snapped. "I may only have one Pokémon, but she can take on all three of yours, you Grumpig!" she shouted, pointing accusingly. "I challenge you to a Pokémon Battle!"

"Azu!" Waterlily said angrily, jumping in front of Sakura and looking battle-ready.

Ino smiled wickedly. "Well, if you insist…" she sighed, reaching toward her belt. Suddenly, she stopped, grinning. "On the other hand, it's ever so petty to have your Pokémon fight for personal reasons, and while you may not, I value mine. So here's _**my**_ challenge to you."

Ino smoothly pulled out a piece of paper and tossed to Sakura. It was a flyer depicting a beautiful red-haired woman with a silver Ninetales. Sakura recognized her as Kushina Uzumaki, a famous breeder and coordinator. Hmm, Kushina and Naruto had the same last name, Sakura realized; funny coincidence.

"There's going to be a Contest for new Pokémon Coordinators in a month," Ino explained, "and Kushina Uzumaki herself is going to be there as a judge. Rumor is that she's going to give one of her Ninetales's pups to the Trainer that impresses her most. I'm going to be that Trainer," Ino concluded, pushing out her chest proudly.

Sakura scoffed. "That so typical of you, Ino. Coordination's just one big, over glorified glam-contest for trainers to live through their Pokémon, like child beauty contests. Only shallow Trainers would enter them."

"Sounds to me like you're scared," Ino retorted in singsong.

Sakura gripped her hands tightly. "Fine! I'll go along with your stupid challenge! Just don't cry too hard when I beat you into the dust!"

"You keep dreaming, Billboard Brow," Ino said, turning to leave. "Come on, Eugene, we've got more to do then play around with pretend Trainers."

She left, but Sakura was still fuming. "I'll show her!" Sakura declared to herself. "I'm going to catch and raise the best Pokemon there are! And unlike that wretched piglet, my team will do more than just look pretty on stage! Right, Waterlily?"

"Zu-zu!"

"Come on," Sakura said, "we're starting now!"

_Meanwhile, in another part of the forest…_

Hinata followed the bounding Bayushi, doing all she could to keep up.

"B-Bayushi! Slow down," she called, leaning on a tree for support.

"Eevee," Bayushi responded, coming back for her.

"Th-Thank you," Hianta stammered, patting him on the head.

Suddenly, a black and grey Pokemon that looked like a wolf-pup jumped out a nearby bush, growling at Hinata.

As the girl stumbled back, Bayushi leapt forward, hissing and arching his back.

"Oh no," Hinata whimpered as the two circled each other. Bayushi wasn't her Pokémon, and even if he listened to her, she didn't have any idea what attacks he knew. She had to interfere before something happened!

"Go!" she shouted, chucking a random Pokéball from her belt.

A flash, and out came a green caterpillar. "Caterpie?" Waltz chirped, looking around.

Without warning, the wolf Pokémon, which Hinata recognized as a Poochyena, charged forward, pounding into Waltz.

"F-Fight back, Waltz," Hinata commanded, unsure of what to do.

"Vee!" Bayushi shrieked. He tried to attack, but Hinata grabbed him.

"S-Sasuke would be mad if I let you," she explained.

Meanwhile, Waltz was able to jump on top of the Poochyena, the suction cups on his feet helping stay on while he smacked the pup with his tail.

"Good job, Waltz," Hinata cheered.

Eventually, the Poochyena rolled on his back, knocking the Caterpie off. Growling, the Poochyena jumped atop the bug, biting at his face.

"Use String Shot!" Hinata ordered hurriedly.

Waltz fired a spray of silk just as the Poochyena was about to strike, hitting him full in the mouth.

"Ahrrr?" Spitting and growling, the Poochyena backed away, trying in vain to get the sticky silk out of his mouth. With one last glance at Waltz, it turned and ran.

Hinata let out the breath she was holding. "Good work, Waltz," she whispered quietly.

"Hinata!" Hearing her name called, she spun around to see Naruto waving at her.

Smiling big, the blond boy ran up to her. "Hey, I saw you fight that Poochyena," he said. "Good job for your first battle with your Caterpie. You did great," he added, winking at Waltz, who was standing up and waving his arms in joy.

"So," Naruto turned back to Hinata, "what are you doing, running around in your, uh-?"

Eyes widening, Hinata looked down, realizing that she was in her swimwear. Shrieking in embarrassment, she tried to cover up, which was difficult to do, as her hands where busy caring Bayushi, who had contently fallen asleep in her arms.

"Don't worry about it," Naruto said nonchalantly, "You look just fine-"

Hinata turned a very bright shade of pink.

"-Come on, let's see if we can find the others," Naruto concluded, waving for her to follow. He grinned. "I wonder what Sasuke's doing right now?"

_Meanwhile, what Sasuke was doing right then…_

"Where could that annoying girl be?" Sasuke growled, looking left and right. "That girl," he continued, talking to himself, "she runs off, distracting me long enough for that _evil_ Krabby to escape, then I have to go looking for her before something bad happens…and I can't just ditch her, cause she took Bayushi with her!"

Luckily, before Sasuke could really start to rant, a scream pierced the forest air. A scream that sounded like it belonged to a girl.

Sasuke cringed; it was a very high pitched scream. Well, he didn't recognize it, so it couldn't be Sakura's…or Naruto's. Hmm, he didn't know what Hinata sounded like when she screamed, but he was sure it wasn't like that.

Sighing, Sasuke ran over to whatever it was that was shrieking; after all, he supposed it was his moral obligation to help whoever it was that was in trouble. Besides, he reflected, it could be Naruto. The dope did scream like a little girl when he was scared.

It turned out the person in trouble wasn't Naruto; it was blond chick who was being chased down by three angry Beedrill.

"HEEEELLLLLLP!"

_Boy, she's louder than Naruto getting a flu shot_, Sasuke thought, pulling out a Pokéball. "Togashi, Ember," he said calmly, tossing the ball between the blond girl and the Beedrill.

"Char-char." His Charmander appeared with a flash. Wasting no time, Togashi spun around, grabbed his tail, and blew on its flame, shooting multiple burning darts at the Beedrill. Still stunned by the new Pokémon's appearance, the giant bees were unable to evade the fire attack, and took the embers full to their faces.

"BBZZZZ?" Shocked, the Bug types turned tail and fled. They didn't want to have to fight for their dinner, especially if they had to get toasted first!

"Mander," Togashi said, crossing his arms and nodding proudly.

"Well done," Sasuke said calmly, returning the Pokémon to his ball.

"Th-Thank you," the girl said, walking up to her savoir. Then she got a good look at him, realizing he was **very** good-looking. "Oh! H-Hi there. I-I mean," she said, playing with her ponytail and acting all girly and shy, "my name's Ino Yamanaka. I just want to say that you were ever so brave for saving me from those nasty Beedrill. Oh, how can I ever repay you?" Ino asked, eyes batting seductively.

"Whatever," Sasuke responded in a monotone way. This girl was _way_ more annoying than Sakura, and unlike her, seemed brainless. "Have you-?"

"You didn't tell me your name," Ino interjected, trying to act cutesy, "didn't your mother ever tell you that it's rude not to tell a girl your name when she tells you hers?"

Sasuke ground his teeth. "Sasuke Uchiha," he grunted.

"Well, Sasuke Uchiha," Ino said, moving in close and looking into his eyes, batting her eyelashes, "What is it I can do to help such a strong and handsome man like yourself?"

"Have you seen a girl with pink hair about yay high?" Sasuke asked, holding his hand to about Sakura's height. "Her name's Sakura, and she usually carries around an Azurill."

Ino felt something in her die. "S-Sakura, you say?" she asked with a frozen smile.

"Yeah," Sasuke responded, looking around as if she might jump out from behind a tree.

"That way," Ino whispered, pointing. "Oh, and by the way, are you doing anything this-?"

"Thanks," Sasuke said, walking off and paying her no more mind.

_Meanwhile, deeper in the Forest…_

"KKKEEEEY!"

"What was that?" Startled by the screaming noise, Sakura fell behind the cover of a tree, taking Waterlily with her.

"MAAAAANNNEEEEEEY!"

Sakura gasped; it sounded close.

Waterlily, who found the wailing frightening (especially since Mommy was scared of it too), started to sniffle and tear up.

"Oh, don't cry," Sakura whispered quickly, rocking her Pokémon back and forth. "Don't worry, it's nothing to be scared of."

"KEEEY!" Yep, whatever it was, Sakura could tell that it was close by.

Amazingly, in spite of the horrible wailing, Sakura was able to get Waterlily under control, though she was still frightened.

Deciding that she should go see what was making such racket, Sakura put Waterlily down and snuck through the bushes, moving as quietly as she could.

Pulling a branch away, Sakura found the source of all the noise: a small, fluffy monkey-like Pokémon with a pig-nosed was pounding its fists into the ground, crying as loudly as it could.

"MAAANNNKKKEEEEY!"

"Uoh," Sakura cringed, "what is thing's problem?" She reached for her Pokédex, and swore slightly when she realized that she had left it behind, along with her Pokéballs, Nav, and clothing. "I didn't think this through," she hissed. "If I can just go back and get my stuff real quick," Sakura reflected, "I might be able to come back and catch it. It shouldn't be too hard to find with the way its screaming."

She started to crawl away, but her swim top was snagged by a thorn. Not realizing it, Sakura accidently pulled on it, causing the branch to pull back and snap loudly.

"Oh Sh-"

"Key?" The sad/angry Pokémon whipped around, spotting Sakura's bright-pink hair. "Key-key-KEY!" Stomping its foot in fury, the monkey-thing rushed at Sakura, raising its claws.

"AAAAH!" Cringing, Sakura put her arms up, hoping to shield her face from the worst of it.

"Azu-RILL!" A jet of water hit the pig-monkey head on, pushing far away from Sakura.

Shocked, she turned to the source, and her surprise grew: it was Waterlily.

Shaking itself, the monkey looked at its new challenger, and stomped around. "Mankey key Mankey!"

"Zu Azurill!" Waterlily responded, jumping between her owner and the opponent.

Sakura got up so fast that she her top snared on more thorns and was torn off, though she didn't notice. "Waterlily, don't! You're not ready to-"

Too late; the Mankey already charged, attacking with a kick.

However, to Sakura's amazement, her Azurill jumped clean over the opponent, using her tail's weight as a catapult. Landing, Waterlily sent another jet of water at the Mankey, hitting it while its back was turned.

The Mankey growled, jumping around and running at Waterlily again.

"Get out of the way!" Sakura screamed.

Waterlily jumped using her tail again, but the Mankey was expecting it, and jumped in time, lashing with its claws out as they passed each other.

"Rill!" Waterlily cried, hitting the ground hard.

"Waterlily!"

"Keykeykey," the Mankey chuckled. It flexed its claws, and jumped high above the Azurill. Waterlily's face twisted into terror as the Mankey descended.

Sakura's mind raced for a way to save her Pokemon. Then, something struck. "Use Uproar now!"

The Mankey was about to hit when:

"_**WAAAAA!"**_

The screaming blast of sound hit the Mankey dead center, blasting it back. As the din resounded in the Pokémon's head, it gripped its ears, wanting it to stop.

"_**WAAAAA!"**_

The second blast sent the Mankey to its knees, pounding its head into the ground.

"_**WAAAAA!"**_

Certain that it was weak enough, Sakura reached for a Pokéball from her belt, only to remember that she had none. Shoot! Now what?

"Sakura!" She whipped around to see Sasuke moving closer to her, ears covered by his hands and eyes squinting in pain. "What's going on!"

"No time to explain!" Sakura shouted back, grabbing a Pokéball from his waist, much to his shock. Sakura chucked the ball, hitting the Mankey and absorbing it. The ball quivered and dinged quickly.

"Yes!" Sakura cheered, running over to grab "her" Pokéball and calm Waterlily down.

"What was that?" Sasuke pondered, pulling out his Pokédex.

"Mankey, the Pig Monkey Pokemon. Mankey are moody and unpredictable, calm one minute and raging the next. This Pokémon lives in groups that get along surprisingly well, living contently together, though they do fight on the occasion. A Mankey that is separated from the group will bawl uncontrollably, quickly becoming sad. This sorrow turns into infuriation that causes it to lash out at any and everything."

"So," Sasuke said, flipping his Dex shut, "You caught a Mankey." He turned to face her. "But why did you need one of my Poké-?" His eyes widened, noticing Sakura for the first time. He realized that she was without a top.

"I-I-I-uh, I mean-"

Both Sakura and Sasuke turned the brightest shade of pink and a look of embarrassment appeared on Sasuke's face that only his Mother, his brother, and Aunty Kushiha had ever seen.

"I'M SORRY!" Sasuke shouted without warning, closing his eyes, turning away, and running as fast as he could. "I DIDN'T MEAN TO, I SWEAR! I'M NOT A PERV LIKE NARUOT'S GRANDPA-"

BAM!

Sasuke ran right into a tree and fell backward.

"Oh no, I killed him!" Sakura screamed, running over to check on him. Luckily, halfway there, she thought better and retrieved her top first.

"Sasuke, are you alright?" she asked, leaning over him.

He looked at her with glassy eyes and a childish smile. "Mommy, I wanna be a Pidgot when I grow up. And then I'm gonna marry a pretty, pretty Cherrim."

_Meanwhile, back at the river…_

"Bayushi," Naruto sighed, "You are so spoiled. You know that, right?"

"Eevee vee Eevee," Bayushi responded smugly, stretching out on his back.

Giggling, Hinata brushed his belly. "But he's such a sweet boy," she said.

Bayushi purred loudly, rubbing up to her affectionately.

In all amazement, Hinata had taken a comb with her when she chased after Sakura, so now Naruto and she were brushing Bayushi down to pass the time.

"You should see him when Sasuke visits my house," Naruto said with a grin, scratching behind the Eevee's ears. "He and Kitsune (that's my Mom's Ninetales, by the way) do _not_ get along. I'll be brushing Kitsune down, and Bayushi'll just jump up and try to get my attention. Boy, does that make Kitsune mad."

Hinata laughed softly. "Your family sounds fun."

"You bet," Naruto grinned, "You should see when- -oh, look."

Hinata turned to see Sasuke and Sakura walking towards them. Or, more accurately, Sakura supporting Sasuke, who moved about like he was half-asleep. In a few seconds, they could see why. His face was bruised black and blue, and he had a nasty cut on his forehead.

"Whoa man," Naruto gasped as Bayushi ran up to great his master, "What happened to your face?"

"Well, uh…" Sakura stammered, turning pink.

"Wild Pokémon attack," Sasuke grunted, clumsily trying to pet Bayushi, only to nearly fall down.

"Yeah, that's it!" Sakura agreed, nodding enthusiastically.

Naruto looked at the two with a sideways glance. Something was off…but what? "A wild Pokémon eh? Which one?"

"A Mankey," Sakura said quickly, holding up a Pokéball. "I caught it."

"Sasuke got beat up by it, but you caught it?" Naruto asked, raising an eyebrow. He eyed them for a few seconds. "BWAHAHAHA!"

Sakura so stunned by Naruto's sudden laughing fit that she dropped Sasuke on top of Bayushi.

"What's so funny?" she demanded.

"Sasuke got beat up by a Pokémon that got beat up by a girl!" Naruto announced, pointing at his friend mockingly. "That's even worse than being beaten up by a girl!"

Sakura's face darkened. "'Worse than being beaten up by a girl,' you say?" she asked, twiddling the Pokéball containing her Mankey.

"Yep!" Naruto responded with a smile, "There's nothing more humiliating than that."

For some reason, Hinata was tugging at his sleeve, whispering something about quitting while ahead.

Sakura's face spread into a big smile. "Is that so?" She tossed the Pokéball to Naruto's feet. "Sick 'em."

"KKEEEY!" The pig monkey Pokemon appeared with a flash. It looked around, then spotted Naruto. "Mankey!" it screamed, jumping on top of him.

"HELP!" Naruto yelled, while Sakura and Sasuke watched in delight and Hinata watched in horror.

Bayushi just wanted Sasuke to get off him.

_Meanwhile, at their campsite…_

Junk food bags were scattered everywhere, wrappers and plastic littering the land.

At the center of the mess, Puck and the Krabby laid back on Naruto's pack.

"Furret?" Puck asked, handing a soda-can to his newfound friend.

"Coo," the Krabby said, popping it open with his claw and handing it back; then he opened one for himself.

They toasted their drinks up and took a long swing, letting out loud belches.

Ah, life was bliss…at least they thought so, until Naruto found them.

**Author's Notes**:

I hope you liked this chapter.

One question: What should Sakura name her Mankey (it's a girl, by the way).

Oh, and Emmerlaus gave me a great idea on what Pokémon should be in the Egg! I'll keep it a surprise, but thanks for all your suggestions.

If you think of any Pokémon the characters should have, please tell me, along with any nicknames you think they should have.


	7. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer**

Let me just start out with the standard Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, Pokemon, or any of the associated or mentioned franchises/companies, and I am not making a profit on this.

**Review Response**

Hey everyone. From now onward, instead of posting responses, I'm just going to list your name and my response. Also, I'm not going to respond to every review, though I'll try to respond to at least some of them.

To AtmaterasuIce:

Thank you for being such a loyal reader! I thank you kindly for your ideas and pointers.

To Alec McDowell:

Welcome! Glad to have a new reader. I like all of your suggestions, and it's interesting that a lot of people want Naruto to have a Pikachu. Well, anyway, if every team needs a strong Dark type, like you said, than what suggestions do you have?

To xXKiraUzumakiXx:

I like that the name Athena. I really, really do. However, I don't think it fits for Mankey. So, do you mind if I use it for another one of Sakura's Pokémon instead? I have one in mind.

To Dawnstar95:

Hello. It is always nice to meet Christians on this site (or anywhere else). Might Gai as the Fighting Gym Leader and Rock Lee as his student is a must; but I think Lee will make an early appearance (like, in the next chapter or two).

Thank you everyone for your reviews and support!

Pokémon Konoha

Chapter 6

"Kata, Quick Attack!"

"Bayushi, respond with Tackle."

The fox and jackal-like Pokémon rushed at each other, their trainers cheering them on.

The Riolu moved like wind, evading the Eevee's charge and slamming into his side.

"Good job, Kata!" Naruto called, jumping up and down, "Now follow up with another!"

"Lu!" The Pokémon ran forward, preparing a chopping attack.

"Counter with Sand Attack," Sasuke ordered coolly.

"Vee!" Grinning, Bayushi whipped around and wagged his tail back and forth in the dirt, kicking up a dust cloud that obscured the field from view.

At the sidelines, Sakura and Hinata watched as the two boys battled, commenting to each other about their tactics.

The group had been travelling since 7 AM when they got up, when Sasuke announced that they were taking a break at 12. They had finally gotten out of the forest and where now taking Route 31 North. If they continued at this rate, they'd end up at Teal Town by the end of the day.

Of course, Naruto was upset. He had wanted to explore the forest some more and look around for more Pokémon. To which Sasuke pointed out he hasn't even gotten to use any of his Pokémon in a real battle yet. Somehow, Naruto took it as an insult, and the two started arguing (again). One thing led to another, and eventually, they decided to battle.

Sakura tried to tell them off for wanting to settle a personal matter with a Pokémon Battle, but the boys insisted that they were just trying to toughen up their teams so they'd be ready for a real fight.

And here they were.

"Kata, get out of there!" Naruto shouted as he lost sight of his Pokémon in the dust cloud.

"Too late," Sasuke whispered smugly.

BAM!

Naruto's Riolu flew out of the cloud, with Bayushi slamming into him.

"Kata, try a Counter!" Naruto commanded, grimacing.

"Don't let up, Bayushi," Sasuke instructed. "Keep up the Tackles and don't let him maneuver."

The Eevee moved quickly, weaving left and right and slamming into his foe, avoiding the guards and counter maneuvers he tried to use.

After one particularly solid blow, Kata was sent sprawling on the ground. "Riii…" he groaned.

"Kata," Naruto said, biting his lip, "Try to get up, buddy."

The Pokémon struggled to lift himself off the ground, and then fell back down.

"You did good," Naruto sighed, pulling Kata's Pokéball out, "Now rest." He returned him.

"Now," Naruto added, pulling out a second Pokéball, "Go, Puck!"

The Furret appeared with a flash, looking left and right.

"Okay, Puck," Naruto continued, gritting his teeth, "Let's see if you can do this right."

Puck smiled at him dumbly and nodded his head. Yesterday, the Pokémon had been ordered to watch their stuff. Instead, he went through everything and then ate all their sweets and soda pop with the evil Krabby that tormented Sasuke and Naruto earlier. And when Naruto found them, he was so wasted (Sakura said that eating lots of sugar would do that to some Pokémon) that when Naruto screamed, "GET THAT KRABBY!", Puck thought he said "Hit me in the gut as hard as you can;" which is what Puck did. Needless to say, Naruto was less then pleased.

Back on the battlefield, Sasuke thought for a moment, and then said, "Bayushi, return," patting his side.

A little confused, the Eevee non-the-less obeyed, trotting over to his master's side.

"What's wrong?" Naruto asked, tilting his head.

"Bayushi won one fight already," Sasuke explained, "I want all of my team to get a chance."

He reached for Togashi's Pokéball; then stopped. "Hmm, I've been using you alot." He grabbed Akodo's ball. "But I haven't used you yet."

Raising the Pokéball, Sasuke smiled and said, "Akodo, I choose yo-"

"No," Sakura said firmly, grabbing his hand before he could through it. "Akodo's still healing."

An uncharacteristic look of surprise spread across Sasuke's face as he looked at Sakura to where Hinata was sitting, a good eight feet away, then back to Sakura.

"Wha- -I mean- er…" He stumbled, trying to find the right words. Finally, he just blurted out, "Weren't you just sitting next to Hinata?"

"Yeah, and..?" Sakura responded without blinking.

Sasuke looked past the girl to Naruto and Hinata, who both just shrugged.

Sighing, Sasuke put the Pokéball back on his belt. "You win," he muttered, shuffling away from the field.

"Wait," Naruto asked, looking at Puck, "Was he talking to her or to me?"

Puck shrugged, and then noticed a cloud up high was shaped like a cheeseburger. He had never had one, but he smelled them in all their tastiness once in a while when people had cookouts in the forest. Stealing one (preferable from someone who wouldn't crush his skull in if they caught him) had always been one of Puck's greatest ambitions in life. Stretching his long body as far as it could go, the Furret reached and reached with his hands for the cheeseburger-cloud. He could almost taste it!

"Uh, Puck?" Naruto said questioningly, watching his Furret from a safe distance as he wandered around on two legs stretched out and reaching for the sky, "What are you doing?"

"M-Maybe he's stretching," Hinata suggested as he wondered past her; her stuttering due not to nervousness, but barely suppressed laugher. Puck had tripped on a rock, gotten right back up and continued reaching for the sky, not missing a beat.

"It's a question the world is probably better off not knowing the answer to," Sakura said. "Anyway," she turned to Naruto, "You've had your fun, so now it's Hinata's and my turn."

"W-What?" Hinata asked, tumbling back.

"The boys got to train, so we should have a battle," Sakura explained. "We've got to toughen up too."

"Cool idea," Naruto said, moving to the sidelines and pushing the shy girl forward. "Go, Hinata, go! You can do it!"

Hinata blushed red. "I don't know…"

"Oh, come on," Sakura insisted, "You'll do fine. And why are you cheering for her and not me?" she added, looking at Naruto with venomous eyes. "I thought I was your 'Pink-haired Princess.'"

"Because Hinata's a nice girl who doesn't sic _**savage pig-monkeys**_ on her friends for kicks! So there!" Naruto shouted, sticking out his tongue and pulling down his eyelid.

"Oh, _please_, you were asking for that," Sakura sighed.

Hinata walked over to where Naruto was standing. "G-Go, Waltz," she managed, calling out her Caterpie.

"Pieeee?" he chirped, looking back at Hinata with his big eyes.

"Alright then," Sakura said, looking over to the sidelines where Waterlily had curled up after eating lunch, "Waterlily, you're-"

"NO!" Sasuke shouted, moving to block the line of sight between her and her Pokémon, "Don't use the Water-Banshee! If I have to endure to that thing's Houndoom-Cursed Screams again, I swear I'll go mad and kill someone!"

Then he noticed everyone was staring at him. "I mean," he said, trying to act as though nothing happened, "you should use your Mankey. After all, I'm sure it would love to get out and exercise." Laughing he sat down and returned to his normal, withdrawn self.

"Smooth," Naruto chuckled, punching his friend on the arm. "By the way, what do you mean by 'Houndoom-Cursed Screams,' anyway?"

"You don't want to know," Sasuke said flatly, "and you'll be thankful if you never find out. Trust me."

"You know," Sakura said, picked up her Mankey's Pokéball, "Sasuke's disturbing rant aside, he is right. I think I will use my-"

"EEEEEEEEEEEE!" A high pitched shriek interrupted her as Hinata's Caterpie wiggled past them at an amazingly fast rate. Puck chased after him, looking at the Caterpie the way Naruto looked at a bowl of ramen.

Just as Puck was about to catch the Caterpie, however, Hinata's backpack slammed down on top of him. "Leave. My. Waltz. ALONE!" the girl hissed, glaring down at the Furret in a un-Hinata-like way.

"Seriously, Puck," Naruto scolded, running over and picking up his Pokémon by the scruff of the neck, "I feed you lots of Pokéfood every day; not to mention that you gorge yourself on any of _**my**_ food you can get your grubby hands on. You can't really be hungry. And even if you were, you are not allowed to eat _anybody's_ Pokémon. Understand?"

Sulking and sticking out a lip, Puck nodded solemnly.

"Good," Naruto said, nodding, "Now, apologize to Waltz."

Sakura winced, and Sasuke leaned over to her and said, "Five bucks says this ends in disaster."

"No bet," she responded as Naruto set his Furret down next to the Caterpie.

"Apologize," Naruto repeated insistently.

Rolling his eyes, Puck hugged Waltz and gave him a kiss on the head. Eyes widening, Puck smacked his libs, and smiled, giving Waltz another kiss. And another. And another. Then he licked him. Opening his mouth wide, Puck was about to bite-

BAM! Naruto hit the back of his head hard.

"I said Apologize, not Appetizer!" Naruto shouted. "Back to your Pokéball!" He returned the Furret to his ball and retreated to the sidelines.

"…Okay," Sakura said slowly, "That was…odd. Now," she grinned, whipping her face to look at Hinata, "As I was saying, I choose my Mankey!"

Sakura tossed the ball, and her Mankey appeared with a flash.

It looked left and right, and then took a deep breath. "KEEEEEEEY!" Screaming loudly, it pounded the ground with its fists, jumping and thrashing about.

"Sheesh!" Naruto said, cringing, "What's that thing's problem?"

The Mankey glared at him, causing the boy to recoil and shield his face.

"It's angry, you idiot," Sasuke growled.

"Calm down, Mankey!" Sakura ordered, cautiously edging closer. "What's the matter?"

"It's a Mankey?" Naruto suggested, earning another rebuking look, this time with both Sakura and her Mankey.

Sakura rolled her eyes and pulled on her Pokédex. "Let's see what the Pokédex has to say."

The Pokédex flipped open and lite up. "Mankey are very moody, temperamental Pokémon. However, their default mood tends to be happy and energetic as long as their three major needs are met. One, they are fed. Two, they are safe. And three, they are not lonely. Should a single one be even slightly neglected, the Mankey will grow continually sad, which in turn will continually infuriate it. This tantrum will cause it to become hungry, which can cause it to leave its group to seek out food, which will cause it to become increasingly unsafe, thusly creating a very violent, vicious cycle."

"So, he's hungry, hurt, or lonely," Naruto pondered, watching as the Mankey left the battle field and started climbing up a tree and tearing up the smaller branches. "But which one?"

"Isn't obvious?" Sakura asked, "When I caught it yesterday, it was alone and screaming. The Pokédex said that Mankey become enraged when alone, which is why it was screaming. And it's only gotten lonelier since then."

"N-Not to interrupt," Hinata stuttered, "b-but should we really be letting it do that?" She pointed at Sakura's Mankey, who was now atop the tree, waving a pair of branches above its head and probably proclaiming its hate for all mankind.

"We need to help it feel welcome among us," Sakura explained. "It needs to feel like we're its new family; like it belongs. We can't do that by keeping it in its Pokéball."

"You know," Naruto pointed out, "I bet it would feel a whole lot better if it, you know, had a name."

Sakura, Sasuke, and Hinata's eyes all widened as one.

"What?" the blond asked. "You didn't realize that Sakura never named her Mankey?"

"Actually, I didn't," Sakura admitted sheepishly. "Uh…any ideas?" she added.

"Gorge?"

"K-Kiki?"

"Jeffry?"

"No. No. No," Sakura said as the names were listed, taking out her Pokédex. "None of those fit."

"I've got it!" Naruto proclaimed, smiling. He waved and caught the Mankey's attention. "You should be called Chuck! Like Chuck Norris, since you're a Fighting type."

The Mankey froze, dropping the two branches it had been swinging.

"See," Naruto said, pointing, "HE likes it!"

"Uh, N-N-Naruto," Hinata said quietly, pointing at the Mankey. One of its eyes was twitching. "I d-d-don't think it likes-"

"ManKEY!" Screaming a warcry, the Mankey jumped off the tree and landed right on Naruto, pounding at his head.

"GAAH!" he screamed, trying to fight it off. "Gerroff me!"

Without thinking, Sasuke rushed over and grabbed the Mankey from behind, trying to pull it off his friend.

His survival instinct kicked in just as the Mankey grabbed Sasuke by the neck with its foot, asking why he thought it was a good idea to get physical with a raging ball of fur.

_Because I'm an __**idiot**_, Sasuke thought bitterly as he found himself being pounded into the ground next to Naruto.

"O-Oh no!" Hinata gasped. She turned to her Caterpie, who was still out. "Help them!"

"Wait," Sakura said, stepping forward.

Her Mankey looked at her hatefully, daring her to try and rescue Naruto and Sasuke.

Not fazed at all, the girl just walked up to it, standing tall. "Off of them, now," she ordered, voice firm and strong.

"Key!" the Pokémon hissed, rising a paw.

SLAP!

Quick as a flash, Sakura's hand darted out, smacking the Mankey right across the face.

"Bad," Sakura said firmly, "Bad Mankey. You don't do that. Now, get off of them!"

The Mankey breathed in deeply, eyes narrowing.

Then, to everyone's surprise, it obeyed, stepping off the two boys and moving next to Sakura, looking down and not making eye contact.

"Good," Sakura praised, patting the Pokémon.

Both Naruto and Sasuke didn't move…or blinked…or breathe. They just looked at Sakura and then at the Mankey. And then back at Sakura, and them at the Mankey. Over and over again.

"How?" they both asked in unison finally.

"Pokémon are like children," Sakura explained, "If you show confidence, they respect your authority."

"Oh, okay," Naruto responded as Sasuke helped him up. "But why did he freak out like that?"

"Well," Sakura said, looking at her or Pokédex, "Aside from that name being completely stupid, you keep calling HER a boy."

"That's a shela?" Naruto asked, pointing at the Mankey, who growled at him dangerously.

"Yes Naruto," Sakura said icily, putting a hand on her Mankey to stop her from attacking him again, "she's a girl. Now shut up before she rips your head off."

Gulping, Naruto backed away slowly.

"Right then," Sakura sighed, "Let's get back to business. What are we going to name you?" she asked, turning to her Mankey.

"Athena," Sasuke suggested, "after the pagan goddess of wisdom and warriors?"

"Hmm, that does sound pretty." Sakura pondered it for a moment, and then looked at her Mankey again. "What do you think?"

She shook her head.

"Sorry, Sasuke," Sakura said, "I like it, but Mankey doesn't."

"H-How about Jane?" Hinata timidly piped in.

"Oh, cool!" Naruto smiled, "you mean like Jane the Bounty Hunter from _Firefly_?"

"What's _Firefly_?" Sakura asked.

The blond boy's eyes widened. "Blasphemy!"

Sasuke chuckled at Sakura and Hinata's shock, and then leaned over to explain. "_Firefly_ is one of Naruto's favorite shows; a sci-fi about cowboys in space, basically. It's pretty good, but the Director's kind of a jerk."

"I doubt Hinata was talking about that," Sakura said. "She obviously meant Jane from the novel, Tarzan and the Apes. Right?"

"Uh, actually, I just thought it was a sweet name for a girl," Hinata admitted bashfully.

Sasuke scoffed, but Sakura smiled. "Meh, it's a good name. What you do think?" she asked, turning to her Mankey.

"Key?" she responded, tilting her head. She crossed her arms and tapped her foot. "Mankey-key," she nodded.

"Jane it is," Sakura said with a smile.

"Well then," Naruto boomed, clapping the newly christened Jane on the back, "Glad you've calmed down, Jane-"

BOFF!

Naruto flew into the air and landed in the dirt.

"Naruto!" Hinata screamed, rushing over to his side.

"Don't worry," he said, voice muffled in the mud, "I broke the fall with my face….Ooh, look at all the pretty lights…"

"Ooh," Sakura groaned, "This is going to take some work."

"Circumstances aside, that was an impressive uppercut," Sasuke pointed out.

"Man-Key!" Jane cheered, pounding her chest.

_**Later, at Lunchtime…**_

"Okay, everyone, dig in!" While everyone enjoyed their sandwiches, their Pokémon ate nearby, save for Waterlily, who Sakura fed.

"Ah, that was good," Naruto said, patting his stomach. "Any more?" he added, eyes scanning about greedily.

"I wanted to talk about that," Sasuke responded in a serious tone. "The fact is, we're just about out of food."

"WHAT!" Naruto shouted, tumbling over.

"But, I thought we had enough to last a week. What happened?" Sakura asked.

"Unfortunately, Naruto and I were carrying most of the people food, and Naruto's little monster found it," Sasuke explained, giving Puck a dark glance.

"You're kidding," Naruto said, mouth left open.

"But it can't all be gone," Sakura insisted. "Even if Puck was twice as gluttonous as the average Furret (which, if he takes after his trainer, he would be), there's just no way he could eat a week's work of food for 4 people in a single sitting."

"Well, the turncoat didn't eat alone, remember?" Sasuke asked darkly. "He had that evil Krabby over for lunch. Not to mention, when I cleaned up, I found a bunch of food that had been stashed in the dirt and bushes and in-between the river rocks and who knows where else."

"I forgot that Furrets do that," Sakura said sheepishly.

Sasuke sighed, rubbing his head. "I was able to salvage a tiny bit of it, but most of it was too dirty to save."

"Thanks a lot, Puck," Naruto growled.

"Not his fault," Sasuke said, "he was only doing what Furrets do. You're the idiot that put him on guard duty even though I told you not to, _remember_?"

Naruto jumped up angrily, his face inches away from Sasuke's. "You sayin' it's my fault?"

"Pretty much, you dope," the other boy responded smugly.

Suddenly, Sakura was between them, pushing the two apart. "Don't you two dare star at it!" she said warningly. "If you guys fight over every little thing, then what example will you be setting for your Pokémon?" she asked, nodding to where they were eating.

"To never quit and fight hard?" Naruto responded, a little confused as to why that would be a bad thing to teach a Pokémon.

"No!" Sakura barked. "You're teaching them to fight amongst themselves for the littlest reasons."

"Y-Yeah," Hinata agreed, pulling at Naruto's arm. "P-Please, let's try and solve the problem, rather than create new ones."

"Very well," Naruto said, sitting back down after casting a dark look at Sasuke. "So, anybody got any ideas?"

"Hmm." Sakura pulled out her Pokénav. "According to the map, there is a town just along this road…"

_**Meanwhile, amongst the Pokémon…**_

Bayushi and Akodo sat close together, calmly nibbling up their portions, while Togashi ate with Rhapsody, both chuckling happily.

Waltz ate up his food joyfully, occasionally looking up to check if Puck was still a safe distance away.

Meanwhile, Jane sat down cross-legged and ate, glaring if anyone came to close.

Eventually, Puck swaggered on over and smiled widely. "Furret fur!" he said, waving his arms out wide.

Jane grunted an acknowledgement.

"Fur fur ret Furret…" Puck squeaked, talking about the things that Pokémon talk about, moving and posing dramatically.

All the while, Jane's eyes became narrower and narrower.

"Fur-Furret, ret fur-"

SLAM!

Jane's paw came down hard on the Furret's tail, which had been inching closer and to her food.

A wave of pain swept up Puck's tail, to his spine, and ending in this head. Biting down on his tongue, the Furret smiled painfully, pulled his tail out from under Jane's paw, and backed away, whimpering.

Cradling his swelling tail, Puck made his way over to where the humans were.

"Hey, Puck," Naruto said, "How you doing- -what happened to your tail? It looks swollen…"

The Furret responded the best way he could: "AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!"

Of course, his screaming woke up Waterlily, whom Sakura had just put down for a nap. And the little Pokémon responded to Puck's screaming in kind.

"_**WAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"**_

And thus, chaos ensued.

_**Later…**_

"Now then," Sasuke growled, "now that everything is _**silent**_ again, let's get back to the problem at hand."

"Yeah," Naruto agreed, rubbing his ears. "Only, you'll need to speak up. I think one of my eardrums burst."

Sakura cast a glare at Naruto for his whining, then pulled out her Pokénav. "We agreed that it'd be a good idea to stop at Maraville to resupply. It's in the same direction, not too out-of-the-way, and has a Pokémon Center."

"So why are we still discussing this and not on the road?" Sasuke asked.

"There's still the question as to whether or not we should stop by Maraville, get what we need and keep on going, or just crash there for the night," Sakura explained.

"We have a schedule to keep," Sasuke insisted, eyes narrowing, "I thought we planned to keep going till we got to Teal town?"

"Yeah!" Naruto piped in, "You got to get that egg, and there's an Official League Gym there. I say we get to Teal Town quick!"

"You're forgetting one thing," Sakura pointed out, "even if we make up the time we lost, we'll still have to take time to shop for good prices on the food and wait for our Pokémon to heal at the Center. Even if it only takes an hour or two, by the time we get back on the road, it will be dark long before we make it to Teal Town. I say we just stay at the Pokémon Center and wait 'till morning."

"Ah, she's probably right," Naruto shrugged, looking at Sasuke. Behind the blond, Hinata nodded in approval quietly.

"Fine," Sasuke sighed, rolling his eyes. "Now let's get going, before we waste any more time."

"Yes my Khan!" Naruto replied dramatically, bowing as Sasuke passed him.

_**A Few Hours Later, at Maraville…**_

"Whoa, talk about small," Naruto exclaimed, counting the buildings as they entered Maraville. "Let's see…ah, 2, 3, 4…18 houses in total. Wait! I spoke to soon. _**19**_ if you include that outhouse over there!" the boy said happily, pointing.

"Can it, Naruto," Sasuke ordered. He turned to Sakura. "How 'bout you and Hinata get the food while me and the idiot book our rooms at the center?"

"Okay," Sakura chimed, taking Hinata by the hand and heading off.

"Say, why are you calling all the shots anyway?" Naruto asked as the boy started off without him.

_**At the General Store…**_

"Let's see," Sakura mussed, looking at her list, "Sunflower seeds, bread, nuts, soup (canned or dry), dried meats and vegetables, potatoes…"

Standing next to her, Hinata was impressed at how thorough Sakura was being. She wouldn't have even thought of half the things Sakura had.

"Hinata," the pink-haired girl said, "could you go check on their dry, premade meals? Get 8-to-12, and make sure their cheap, 'kay?"

"O-Okay," Hinata nodded, heading down an aisle.

After finding the premade meals, Hinata had trouble finding some that were reasonably priced. All the name brands were much too expensive, and most of the other ones looked like there weren't very good…actually, they looked outright horrid. Eventually, Hinata spotted a store brand that didn't look like it would make a Meowth gag. And it was on sale, 4 for 3!

Smiling, Hinata walked over and reached up for a box, only to find that she couldn't reach. Even when she stood on her tippy-tiptoes, she could barely touch them.

Cursing her short high, Hinata jumped up and tried to knock one down.

"Uh, need a hand?"

Squeaking in embarrassment, Hinata whipped around to see who was talking to her.

It was a boy, and a wild-looking one. He had short, messy brown hair, dark animal-like eyes, and red fang tattoos on his cheeks. He wore a winter jacket with the hood down, sitting in which was a friendly looking Growlithe, a puppy Pokémon. Grinning, the boy showed off his sharp canine teeth. "Hi," he said, "Let me get that for you." Reaching over, he grabbed pulled down the whole box, holding it out for Hinata.

"Th-Thank you," Hinata muttered, grabbing a few packages and putting them in her basket.

After putting the box back on the shelf, the boy turned to her and said, "I'm Kiba Inuzuka, and this is Akamaru; nice to meet you." He held out a hand, grinning big.

"H-Hinata Hyuga," Hinata responded, taking his hand lightly.

After gripping her hand strong and giving her a nice, firm handshake, Kiba continued. "So, Hinata, you traveling with some friends?" he asked, walking with her as she made her way to the front.

"Y-Yes," Hinata stuttered. She was not accustomed to someone eyeing her, especially a boy. Her shirt must have had a stain on it or something. "Wait! How did you know that?"

"It's kind of obvious. I mean, one girl couldn't eat all that by herself," Kiba pointed out, motioning at her cart-full of premade meals.

"Oh, right," Hinata said, looking down.

"Where you headed," Kiba asked.

"Um, T-Teal Town," Hinata answered softly. _Why_ was he following her again?

"Cool, I'm going there meself!" Kiba said eagerly. "I plan on challenging the Gym Leader there for a badge."

"You must be a good trainer," Hinata said, smiling a bit.

"You bet!" Kiba responded, smiling back big. "Akamaru and I've already beaten two trainers like they were nothing; and they both used two Pokémon while I only used Akamaru! And I've caught me some great Pokémon."

"R-Really; like what?" Hinata asked, genuinely interested. This Kiba seemed to act a lot like Naruto would: loud, friendly, boisterous, and goodhearted.

"Well, there's actually a bit of a funny story to that," Kiba admitted. "You see, yesterday, Akamaru and I were out in a forest on Route 18, looking for some adventure, when all of a sudden, this Poochyena comes running at us. I was so freaked out I fell over. Anyway, the Poochyena sees Akamaru, so he arches his back and growls…or, _**tries**_ to growl."

"Tries?" Hinata asked, tilting her head.

"See, his mouth was full of this silky, web-like stuff," Kiba explained. "He probably tried to eat a can of silly string or something. So the little beasty's jaws were stuck together, and he could hardly do anything. The doggy was so pathetic, Akamaru couldn't even bring himself to attack. So, long story short, I ended helping him get the string stuff out of his mouth."

"And he was so grateful, he let you catch him?" Hinata concluded hopefully.

"Nah," Kiba shrugged off with a grin. "The little ingrate bit me and ran off as soon as his jaws were free."

"He didn't."

"Yes he did. I was so mad that I chased him down, battled him, and caught 'em," Kiba concluded, holding up a Pokéball.

Hinata laughed gently. "Well, good for you. But, I wonder what was in that poor Poochyena's-?" She gasped. "Oh!"

"Hmm?"

Now Hinata laughed in earnest.

"What's so funny?" Kiba asked in confusion.

"I-I just remembered that I battled a Poochyena with my Caterpie the same day," Hinata explained, chuckling. "It ran away after getting a mouthful of String-shot. It must have been the same one you caught."

"No kidding," Kiba smiled. "Guess I owe you a thank you. The rascal wouldn't have run into me if you hadn't scared it off in the first place."

"Scared who off?" said a girl from behind them.

Jumping, both Kiba and Hinata turned around to see Sakura waving at them.

"O-Oh!" Hinata stuttered. "I-I'm sorry. Uh, Kiba, this is my friend, Sakura. Sakura, this is Kiba and Akamaru."

Kiba and Sakura shook hands.

"So, did you ever get those dry meals?" the pink-haired girl asked.

"Oh! I-I'm sorry. I forgot that you were waiting for them!" Hinata said quickly. "H-Here." She grabbed the contents of her cart and held it up for Sakura to see.

"No problem." Sakura helped her transfer the meals to her cart. "Anyway, I've gotten everything else on the list, so let's check out."

"H-Hey," Kiba quickly said to Hinata, rubbing the back of his head, "Since you're just about done here, I was wondering if you'd like to come with Akamaru and me on a walk 'round the park? Maybe get an ice-cream or something?" He smiled big, and Akamaru barked, looking over his owner's head.

"Uh, I, uh,…" Hinata didn't know what to say.

"Of course she would," Sakura answered, "Just wait outside for us while we check out."

Grinning big, Kiba pumped his arms in a 'yes' gesture and ran off, waving.

As soon as he was out of sight, Hinata whipped around and looked at Sakura angrily. "Wh-What did you do that for?"

"I just helped you out," Sakura retorted, "no need to shout (or thank me)."

"Helped me o-out? How?" Hinata demanded.

"The boy was just trying to be nice to you," Sakura said. "Since you were having trouble saying yes, I did for you."

"And what if I d-didn't what to say yes?" the Hyuga heiress asked.

"Why wouldn't you?" Sakura asked back. "It's not like he asked you to except his ring or anything."

"B-But I don't want my f-first date to be with a total s-stranger," Hinata muttered bashfully, slumping his shoulders.

"Date? Who said anything about this being a date?" Sakura said. "He only asked you to walk his dog with him, and _maybe_ have some ice-cream."

"How's that not a date?" Hinata asked.

"If it were a date, you'd plan for it ahead of time and go through your closet trying to find the right dress," Sakura reasoned. "And there'd be a clear spark of romance between you that you'd be trying to fan into a flame. This is more of, oh, a practice date," she conceded.

"I-I suppose your right," Hinata sighed. She had been silly to even think that someone would want to go out with _**her**_, especially a boy she didn't even know. Kiba was just being nice because Hinata had accidently helped him catch his Poochyena.

"Like I said, no need to thank me," Sakura repeated. "Anyway, you go on your practice-date or whatever it is. I'll handle this."

Blushing slightly, Hinata nervously walked off after Kiba.

Sakura laughed at her retreating form. The girl was so nervous, she was tripping over her own feet.

_**Meanwhile, at the Pokémon Center…**_

"Welcome to the Maraville Pokémon Center," the receptionist at the front said as Naruto and Sasuke entered, waving hello. "How can we help you?"

"Let's see," Naruto said, rubbing his chin. "We're a pair of trainers that just came into town and we've got Pokémon that need to rest. What ever could we need?" Eyes widening, he snapped his fingers. "I know! We're here to solicit insurance!"

For a second, the receptionist looked confused. "Aren't you a little young to be working in insurance?"

"We're interns," Sasuke grunted sarcastically, hoping the woman was playing around.

"Really?" she asked in all seriousness.

"Of course not!" Sasuke all but shouted. "We need to have our Pokémon looked at." He placed his Pokéballs on the table.

"And we'd like a room for the night; one for 4." Naruto added, adding his Pokéballs to the pile.

The lady chuckled nervously. "Of course," she said, acting like she knew the whole time. "Uh, so, you want a checkup and a room for 4." She picked up the guestbook and looked at what's available. "Oh, I'm sorry. We don't have any rooms for 4. Just rooms for 2-3."

"And are 2 of those vacant?" Sasuke asked, what little tolerance he had for the woman dying quickly.

"Oh yeah," she said, "way more than 2."

"And are any of those rooms close to each other?" Sasuke hissed.

"Yeah," the receptionist replied.

Naruto and Sasuke looked at her expectantly. She didn't get it.

"Uh, why do you ask?"

"Look, I'll spell it out to you" Sasuke shouted, "Give us two rooms for two that are right next to each other! Is that simple enough for you?"

For a few seconds, the receptionist just stared at them in shock. Finally she said, very slowly, "Ooh, that could work. Why didn't I think of that?"

Sasuke's left eye started to twitch, and he started grasping his hands tightly, like he wanted to wrap them around someone's throat.

"Calm down, Sasuke," Naruto whispered. "She can't take care of our Pokémon if you kill her."

"I'm not sure I want her looking after our Pokémon," Sasuke hissed back. "She's so stupid, she might accidently kill them."

Naruto's eyes widened as what Sasuke said sunk in. This woman was dumb enough to accidently give them an overdose on a drug…or set the Pokémon free…or put them in a blender. "Hey Miss," Naruto asked with a forced grin as the receptionist handed him the keys to their rooms, "are you the one who treats the Pokémon?"

"Of course not; I'm too young to be a doctor," she said, grinning. "Or do you think I'm so smart that I skipped ahead?"

Sasuke started twitching again.

"We gotta go," Naruto said quickly, starting to push Sasuke away before he did something violent. "Just ring us up when our Pokémon are done healing. 'Kay?"

"Sure thing," the receptionist replied. Then, her eyes got big, and she squealed, "OOOOH! You're just too CUUUTTTEEE!"

"What?" Sasuke barked, whipping around.

The lady was pointing at Bayushi, who was cowering behind his Master's legs, frightened by the woman's shriekish squeal.

"That is the cutest Pokémon I've ever seen!" she announced, almost jumping up and down with joy. "I didn't see him down there when you walked in."

"Oh, right," Naruto said, rubbing the back of his head. Was it that big a deal? "Uh, guess he should be checked in too."

"Yes! Yes!" the receptionist said, clapping her hands, "I'll take good care of the darling!"

At this, Bayushi arched his back and hissed, baring teeth.

"Sorry, Bayushi," Sasuke sighed, picking him up, "But, you need to get patched up if we're going to get anywhere on this journey."

Slowly, Sasuke handed his beloved Eevee over. As the woman petted him in delight, Sasuke instructed, "Listen. Do not return him to his Pokéball. He doesn't like it, and he'll freak if someone other than me tries to make him get in it. Understand?"

"Yes, yes, of course," the woman said, waving them off and walking off towards the Doctor's office.

Over her shoulder, Bayushi glared at the two boys hatefully, promising vengeance later on.

"If I didn't hate the woman before (which I did), I do now," Sasuke growled as they went off to their rooms.

"She was…a little slow," Naruto agreed, trying to be tactful.

"Slow?" Sasuke asked, eyebrow raised. "The woman was so dumb that I was starting to hurt just by being close to her."

"That's because you were having a conniption," Naruto explained.

"Can you blame me after the way she shrieked when she saw Bayushi!" Sasuke shuttered.

"Poor Bayushi," Naruto sighed as they made their way to their rooms, "he looked so angry at us. I think it might be safer for me to sleep as far away from him as possible tonight; he'll probably try to pee on me in my sleep again."

"He's vengeful like that," Sasuke said smugly. The two had found their room and he was fiddling with the keys.

"Say, why is it whenever Bayushi gets mad at one of us, I'm the one he pees on?" Naruto demanded.

"Because I feed him," Sasuke explained curtly, opening the door. "Besides, he likes me."

"Ah, a nice, soft bed!" Naruto cheered, running in and jumping on his bed with delight. "It's been so long sense I've gotten to sleep on one, I forgot what it feels like."

"You left home little over a week ago," Sasuke hissed sitting down on his own bed. "What are you, a sissy-marry?"

"Have you ever heard of poetic license?" Naruto growled, glaring.

"Do you even know what that means?" Sasuke retorted.

The two continued with their games of insults and one-ups for a while.

"Hmm, the girls are taking a while," Sasuke mussed thoughtfully. "You should go check on them. They may need help with the groceries."

"WHAT! No way," Naruto shouted, jumping up. "You're the one that made them do the shopping in the first place. _You_ check on them!"

Sasuke rolled his eyes and sighed. "You're right."

"You're right I am…whoa-what?" Naruto gasped, jaw open.

"A gentleman would go and help poor, little Sakura," Sasuke pointed out, "And she'd be ever so grateful to me for being so thoughtful that I'm sure she'd want to go out to lunch with me-"

ZOOM! Naruto was out of the door.

Sasuke smiled wickedly. "Oh Naruto, you're so predictable."

**0o0o0o**

"Thank you, have a nice day," the cashier said as Sakura checked out.

"Thanks," Sakura responded, smiling. "Say, can you hold on to my bags for a while? I need to get some friends to help me take them home."

"Sure, Ma'am," the cashier said, "We can hold onto them all day long, if you like."

"Don't worry," Sakura said, heading for the door, "I don't think I'll be that long."

Darting out of the door, Sakura scanned the area, looking for a certain 'couple.'

"Now where did they-? -Oh, there they are!" Sakura whispered, spotting Hinata and Kiba as they went to the park.

Moving stealthily, Sakura shadowed the two, wanting to see all the juicy bits.

Hmm, the 'practice date' was going well enough. From their body language, Sakura guessed that Kiba was making an attempt at conversation, while Hinata, shy as she was, was trying to as well. Then Hinata's eyes widened and Kiba smacked his face, clearly having said something stupid.

Suddenly, the boy's Growlithe jumped off his master's head and into Hinata's arms. Sakura could tell that Kiba had started to scold him before Hinata told him that it was alright. Now she was holding Akamaru in her arms, and everyone seemed to be more relaxed.

Sakura grinned; the little dog had done a good job of breaking the ice between the two. Now that they were actually talking to each other, Sakura could sneak up close and listen in. Muhahaha…she was so crafty.

"Sakura!" a girl from behind her shouted.

Wincing, Sakura whipped around, wondering who on earth would be shouting at her. Then she sighed. It was Ino.

"Sakura!" the girl shouted. "I have a bone to-"

"Shush!" Sakura hissed, putting a finger to her mouth.

"Don't you shush me-!"

"Shush!" Sakura repeated urgently. "You'll blow my cover!"

"What do you mean, undercover?" Ino asked, kind of interested in what Sakura was doing. Ino bet she was shamelessly following that beautiful Sasuke boy. The nerve!

"I'm following them," Sakura said, pointing at the 'couple' that was now walking away.

"Oh, good," Ino said, smiling. "For minute there I thought you were stalking my Sasuke."

"Oh no, I'd never- -WAIT A MINUTE!" Sakura shouted, whipping around and looking the other girl in the eye. "WHAT DO YOU MEAN, 'YOUR SASUKE!' Since when did he belong to you; and how do you even know he exists?"

"Oh, he didn't tell you?" Ino asked, putting her hands to her face and blushing. "Well, I'll enlighten you: You see, after I issued my challenge to you (which, by the way, I'm surprised you accepted), I was attacked by a swarm of Beedrill! As the monstrous bees closed in, a dashing young man jumped out of nowhere and drove them all off! After turning to ask me if I was alright, he introduced himself as Sasuke Uchiha." Ino's eyes became misty and distant. "Oh, the light from the sun was blazing on him, making his-"

"Kill the Twilight monolog," Sakura quickly interjected, not wanting to waste all day. She still had to spy on Hianta!

"In short, we had a wonderful time talking," Ino concluded. "That is, until dear Sasuke remembered that he had to go rescue _you_. If not for that, I'm sure we'd be having lunch right about now."

"Yeah right, you lying pig!" Sakura spat. "Like Sasuke'd be interested in you! There's no way he'd enjoy talking to a girl he doesn't even know!"

Ino's eyes narrowed. "Just because he ignores a dandelion like you, doesn't mean he'd do the same for a cosmos like me."

Sakura felt her temper burning as her face turned red. "Shut up! Stop talking about Sasuke like you own him!" She took a step forward.

"And you're any different?" Ino shot back, stepping up was well.

"I'm his friend! You don't know anything about him," Sakura said, fire in her eyes. "So stop acting like you do!"

"Is that a threat?" Ino demanded, sparks flashing in her eyes.

"No, it's a challenge!" Sakura announced.

"Very well, I accept!" Ino said, smiling nastily. "I wanted to battle you anyway, so let's go!"

**o0o0o0o0o**

Rounding the corner, Naruto was about to get to the grocery store when he saw something so surprising that he crashed into a wall.

"Omph!"

Jumping up quick as he could, the blond shook his head and looked up, making sure he saw what he thought he saw.

Yep, he did.

"What?"

**Author's Notes**:

Sorry for this chapter taking so long! But I kept getting idea and rewriting the whole thing. I'm glad as to how this turned out.

Now, I have two questions:

What Pokémon should Ino and Sakura use in their battle? Just as a heads up, Ino has are Purrloin, Ducklett, and her starter, Roselia, though she won't use it.

And, should Naruto have spotted Ino and Sakura's battle or Hinata and Kiba's 'practice date?'


	8. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer**

Let me just start out with the standard Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, Pokemon, or any of the associated or mentioned franchises/companies, and I am not making a profit on this.

Pokémon Konoha

Chapter 7

Ino gave a sardonic smile to Sakura, who was standing on the other end of their makeshift arena, in the middle of a playground. "Ready, Sakura?" she asked sweetly.

"Of course," Sakura replied, setting Waterlily down and pulling a Pokéball from her belt. "Is one-on-one good for you?"

"Just fine," Ino said, reaching for one of her own. For a moment, she thought of sending out her Roselia, but then she stopped, deciding to save her strongest for another battle. Besides, Sakura wasn't using her Azurill; so why use a Grass type? "Odette, go!"

"I choose you Jane!"

The Ducklett and Mankey appeared with a flash.

Upon seeing Sakura's Pokémon, Ino raised an eyebrow. "You caught a Mankey?"

The pink-haired girl smiled at the blond's surprise. "Scared?"

"Not really scared," Ino explained. "Usually, you're pretty smart. Even I'll admit that you've got a good head on your shoulders; you scored higher than me on all our written tests in Trainer's School. So, understand that I mean it when I say that I'm disappointed that someone as brainy as you would use such a brawny, unfeminine, Fighting type. Especially against a Flying Pokémon. Then again, I suppose you'd catch anything after finding out how many Pokémon I've got."

"Be quiet you Pig!" Sakura snapped. "What gives you the right to insult my Pokémon!"

"KEY!" Jane shouted, stomping her feet and beating her chest.

Ino almost smiled at Sakura's protectiveness of her Pokémon. "I'm just saying that you shouldn't just catch Pokémon so you could compete with me. That would be a selfish thing to do to your Pokémon."

Sakura cringed slightly at this. Didn't she just catch Jane to play catch-up with Ino?

"Mankey key-man!" Jane suddenly shouted, pointing a paw at the blond girl. Ino couldn't understand the words, but it was clear that the Pokémon was telling her off. And from the way Odette had flinched, there was a lot of Poké-profanity in it as well.

Sakura smiled slightly.

"Well," Ino admitted, looking at the pig-monkey, "your Pokémon thinks I'm full of it, so she must like you. I guess you just caught a brawny, unfeminine Pokémon because you wanted to. Good for you."

"Thanks," Sakura replied flatly, "Now are we going to battle or what?"

"After you," Ino said gracefully.

Smiling, Sakura complied. "Jane, Scratch!"

"Fly up and use Water Gun, Odette!" Ino ordered.

**o0o0o0o**

Sasuke lied on the bed, staring up at the ceiling. It had been almost an hour since Naruto had left, and he had heard nothing from the nurse about Naruto and his Pokémon. "Hmm…I wonder what everyone is doing?" he asked aloud.

After a few minutes of silence, the boy sighed and leaned up. "No point in just sitting here," he said, standing up and making his way for the door. "Might as well check up on my Pokémon…and make sure that nutcase nurse wasn't smothering Bayushi to death."

He made his way to the front, only to find no one there.

"Hello?" Sasuke called, looking around, "I want to check up on my Pokémon."

No one answered.

After waiting for a few moments, Sasuke just rolled his eyes. _The nurse and doctor must be working together in the back_, he thought, waking past the reception area and going through the doors the nurse went earlier.

He found himself walking down a hallway that gave off the odor that doctor's offices smelled of, scanning the rooms as he passed. He still didn't see anyone.

After rounding a corner, Sasuke spotted a Meowth playing with (or more appropriately, trying to kill) a small Rattata doll.

"You must belong to that idiot nurse," Sasuke said, leaning down on one knee.

The Meowth looked up at Sasuke and meowed, rolling around onto its back.

"You don't even mind me calling her an idiot, do you?" Sasuke asked smugly, rubbing the Pokémon's belly.

The Meowth just purred gently.

"So, where is your owner?"

As if to answer him, a woman's voice suddenly pierced the air. "Shut up, you little drip!"

Caught off guard, Sasuke jumped up, looking left and right. He didn't see anyone.

"Be quiet," a male's voice responded sharply, "you know our orders!" His voice was coming from around the corner.

Sasuke realized that he was not the one being spoken to, and exhaled the breath he had been holding without realizing it. Then he realized that maybe he shouldn't be here, and dove into the nearest empty room. Leaving the door a crack open so he could peek, Sasuke watched as the two figures came around the corner.

"Don't snap at me," the woman growled. Sasuke was sure it was the receptionist from earlier, but she had none of the airheadedness about her as before. Now, she had a harsh and cruel look on her face.

"I'll speak to you as I wish, Samantha," the man next to her replied. He had a Doctor's coat on. "And you're not going to keep it; that's final."

"Since when do I need your permission to do anything, Roger?" she hissed.

"Since we're under orders to give every Pokémon we steal to HQ," Roger responded. He moved a picture on the wall to the side and pressed button underneath it. The wall slid open to reveal a secret passage way.

Sasuke's blood chilled as he heard the cries of Naruto's Furret and his Eevee from inside the secret room.

"Be quiet!" the fake doctor shouted.

"They're not going to miss one little Eevee," Samantha protested, continuing their discussion. "Come on, let me have the little cutie-!"

"No!" Roger hissed, whipping around and facing his partner. "Do you have any idea what happens to people who took somethin' from the Snake Clan?"

The woman shook her head. Meanwhile, Sasuke nearly gagged. The Snake Clan was an infamous crime family that stole Pokémon and conducted illegal experiments on them. His father had spent most of his career trying to dismantle the Snake Clan; and often voiced his hatred for them when at home.

"Well," Roger said slowly, using his hand to pantomime a snake crawling up her neck, "let's just say that everyone who's ever tried to betray the Snakes have been found dead with their families-" his hand mimicked a snake biting into her neck "-with about a gallon of Arbok venom in their blood."

Samantha flinched, rubbing her neck.

"So don't get any ideas," Roger concluded, turning and walking into the room. "Now, let's get back to work."

Sasuke snuck out of his hiding place and made his way to the doorway the two had entered as quickly and quietly as he could. Peering around, he could see what they were doing.

Bayushi and Puck were strapped down to an examination table, struggling desperately to get loose. The woman called Samantha was glaring at them, telling them to shut up and be still. Meanwhile, the fake doctor was loading a vial filled with a strange, glowing liquid into an injection gun. Realization struck Sasuke: they were going to inject a TM into the Pokémon!

TMs, short for Technical Machines, were drugs engineered to make a Pokémon learn moves they couldn't otherwise. Once the TM was injected, the Pokémon's DNA would forcibly change to add the Attack to their very physiology. Any new organs they needed to use the Attack (such as a thunder pouch in their body to generate electrical energy for Electric moves) would grow in their body as well. The changes could take anywhere from one to three days to complete, depending on how compatible the Pokémon was with the attack. And the whole process could be very painful for the Pokémon. So much so that trainers were forbidden from using them themselves. By law, a trainer would have to go to a medical facility and have a trained professional administer it. That way, the Pokémon could be in a safe environment where it can be given the care needed to complete the transformation safely.

Sasuke didn't know what those Snake Clan thugs were planning to put into Bayushi or Puck, but they'd have to step over his cold, dead body to do it!

Reaching for a Pokéball from his belt, Sasuke ground his teeth when he remembered that he gave them all to Nurse Ratched earlier.

Growling, Sasuke wondered what to do. Without any Pokémon, all he could do was charge in, guns blazing and fists swinging. Hmm, that didn't seem too good an option; Uncle Minato might have taught him basic hand-to-hand, but Sasuke didn't think he could take two full grown adults that had Pokémon at their disposal. What could he-?

"Meowth?"

"AAHH!" Sasuke shouted out, unable to help himself. He had completely forgotten about the Meowth at his feet, and it had reached up and gripped him with its claws to get his attention.

"Who's there!" Samantha demanded, looking toward the door.

"What's wrong?" Roger asked, pausing just as he was about to inject the TM into the Furret.

"Ssshh!" the woman hissed, walking over to the doorway.

Swearing under his breath, Sasuke started thinking fast. He couldn't let himself be caught! Looking around, he didn't see anything that could be used as a weapon. Only the Meowth, who was still clawing him for attention. "Hmm," Sasuke mused thoughtfully, picking it up.

"Who's there!" Samantha shrieked again. Just as she was about to get to the doorway, Sasuke jumped out of hiding, holding up the Meowth.

"WHAT THE-?"

"GET THE HOUNDOOM AWAY FROM MY EEVEE!" Sasuke shouted, chucking the cat Pokémon at the nurse.

The woman screamed as the Meowth latched onto her face, hissing and scratching up a storm. "_Get the &$%* off me, stupid cat_!"

The man ran over as fast as he could, not sure if he should grab the kid or help his partner. Unfortunately for him, Sasuke took advantage of this hesitation and delivered a swift kick to his nether regions, following up with a straight punch to the man's eye when he inevitably fell to his knees in pain.

Jumping over the man's crumbled form, Sasuke ran over to the examination table and started undoing the straps holding Bayushi and Puck down.

"Vee-vee!" Bayushi cheered when he was set free, jumping onto Sasuke's shoulder.

"Don't worry!" Sasuke shouted, moving over to Puck, "I'll get you out of here quick!"

The man had gotten up and bolted over for Sasuke.

"You miserable-!"

BAM!

Bayushi hit him in stomach with a solid Tackle, winding the fake doctor. A second Tackle sent him sprawling.

Sasuke undid the strap, scooped the Furret and his Eevee up, and ran for the door.

As he jumped over the crooks, he felt something snag his foot, causing him to stop and head for the floor. Bayushi and Puck cried out, jumping off of him as he hit the ground. Looking back, Sasuke saw the fake doctor, smiling at him victoriously, his eye black and swollen.

Roger smiled, heaving. "You're not going anywhere, you little-"

**CRACK!**

Sasuke smashed his foot into the man's face as hard as he could, earning the satisfying sound of his nose breaking. His grip loosened, allowing Sasuke to scramble up and bolt for the door.

He rounded the corner and made his way for the front. Bayushi and Puck were way ahead of him, almost out of the center.

Something light and fuzzy jumped onto Sasuke's back. Before he could react, he heard the woman shout, "Pachirisu, use Spark and fry that brat!"

Electricity discharged through his body, causing Sasuke unbearable pain. His vision went white and he fell onto the ground, body shaking.

Somewhere in the distance, Sasuke could hear Bayushi and Puck crying out for him. "Keep going!" he managed to shout out, "Go find Naruto and Sakura!"

The dread apparent on their faces, the two Pokémon gave him one last pained look before rushing out the Center's doors.

Sasuke was about to smile triumphantly before he saw the Snake Clan woman's foot come at his head.

**O0o0o0**

Kiba and Hinata walked together, Akamaru in front of them. There was a feeling of awkwardness in the air. It was clear that both of them weren't sure what to do.

"So," the boy began, "What about you?"

She thought for a moment. What would be good to talk about? Her family, maybe? "Well, uh, I started my Pokémon Journey just last week; at home, there's my Father and little sister. Her name's Hanabi, uh, she and I get along pretty well, but she's younger then me, so it's hard for us to have the same interests."

"So, you got a Father and Sister; any other relatives?"

"Uh, there's my cousin, Neji. He's a year older, so he's on his Journey; though Father does stay in contact with him."

"What about your Mother?" Kiba asked, turning.

Hinata looked down solemnly, her pace slowing. "She...she's passed on."

"Oh...uh, I'm sorry," Kiba said awkwardly, looking away and slapping his hand to his head. _Way to kill the conversation_, he though bitterly.

"Well uh," he stammered, trying to think of something, "ah! Well, I've got a mom and sister! Uh, my sis, Haha, is all grown and works as a Pokémon nurse. And my Ma is a Pokémon breeder."

"Your father's passed on too?" Hinata asked gently.

"Nah," Kiba said, almost grinning, "he disappeared. Sis says Ma scared him away."

"Your Mother scared your Father away?" Hinata asked, dumbfounded.

"Ma's a-" Kiba searched for the right word: Intimidating? Frightening? Beastly? Demon Possessed? Satanic? "-scary woman," he finally concluded, not wanting to make the conversation any more awkward that it already was.

"...I see," Hinata responded, her voice only a little bewildered. She paused for a moment. "So...you really like Pokémon"

"Yeah!" Kiba near shouted, glad for the change in subject, "my family breeds all the canine-Pokémon species; like the Lillipup, Electrike, and Snubbull families, to name a few."

"Do you plan on raising a team of canine-Pokémon only?" Hinata asked.

"Umm," Kiba mused, scratching his chin, "Not really. I mean, all my favorites are canine-like, and I plan on having mostly canine-like Pokémon, but I'll raise any Pokémon I like.

"What about you," Kiba asked, giving Hinata a sideways glance, "what kind of Pokémon are you raising?"

"Well, I started out with a Totodile I named Rhapsody, and I've caught a Caterpie I've named Waltz," Hinata said, wondering if she should call them out. "But, I don't really know if I'll even try to catch a particular kind of Pokémon or just raise what I catch."

"Nothing wrong with that," Kiba responded, smiling. "So, what are your favorites anyway?"

Hinata thought for a moment. "Well, my family likes to raise Fighting types and Pokémon that are considered elegant and distinguished; it's part of the tradition of our dojo. My Father's favorite Pokémon is his Mienshao."

"That's nice, but do _**you**_ like it?" Kiba pointed out.

Hinata looked at him with wide eyes. "Of course I do! He's a wonderful Pokémon."

"But why do you like Mienshao?" Kiba insisted, "Aside from it being your father's Pokémon, that is."

Hinata mulled over Kiba's question for a moment. Of course she liked Mienshao. It was a powerful and proud Pokémon. But, she had to like it for more then that; right? After all, he was very disciplined and trained every day, and he was so well behaved Father didn't need keep him in his Pokéball. And he would let her siblings (she referred to Neji as her brother, as he lived with them for as long as she remembered) watch him train. In fact, Hinata secretly thought he'd do extra fancy Kata and movements just to please his audience. "I like Mienshao's grace and determination and how every movement is perfect, never wasted."

Kiba nodded in approval, but Hinata could tell that it wasn't clear enough for him.

The girl paused, wondering how she could explain that... Softly, she spoke in poetic poise.

"_Mienshao's strong as Earth_

_yet moves like Wind on Water_

_And then, strikes like Fire_"

Kiba's eyes widened in surprise. "Uh- -that was a very pretty poem," he stumbled out of his O-shaped mouth. He didn't expect the girl to recite poetry for him.

"A _haiku_, actually." Hinata blushed, looking away. She didn't know what possessed her to perform a _haiku._ She just thought it would show the depth of her feelings.

"So, I guess you're a poet- uh, haiku-ist, uh, whatever the word would be," Kiba went on, smiling oddly.

"Oh no," Hinata said, waving her hands. "I was just given some lessons so I could be presentable in high society; I'm no poet. That wasn't even really impressive; it would be considered clumsy to a real poet, actually. (And poet would be the right word.)"

"I liked it," Kiba replied with a smile. "It was neat."

"Growlithe," Akamaru barked in agreement.

"Thank you," the girl said softly.

"Sooo, do you think you could teach me some _haiku_?"

Hinata stumbled in surprise. "What?"

"Oh come on! I don't know anything about poetry or any of those high class things. My family's not very artistic," Kiba explained, and then admitted, "...in fact, you could say we're a pack of decadent Philistines."

Hinata chucked softly. "Well, I suppose I could help you a little...but I'm not very good at it myself."

"Hey, I've got no problem with your poetry," Kiba retorted.

Smiling, Hinata explained the basics. "A _haiku_ consists of 3 stanzas consisting of 17 syllables, the first having 5, the middle 7, and 5 again for the end. Go on, try it."

The boy's face scrunched up in concentration, muttering out phrases and counting on his fingers. After a while, he got something.

_"My dog's a Growlithe_

_His name is Akamaru_

_And he's my best friend"_

After finishing, Kiba looked at Hinata with wide eyes. "How was that?"

"Well, you got the length right," she said. "But a true _haiku_ is more then that. It conveys a message in poetic poise, using shifts between one of the lines or making an ironic point, or using nature as an analogy. After all, Haiku was often used as the final words of a samurai in the old days."

"Give me an example," Kiba requested.

Akamaru yipped in agreement.

Hinata mulled over the poems she knew for a moment. "Well, here's one:

_Flesh is Illusion_

_A fitful and fleeting dream_

_The soul, Eternal_"

After she finished, Hinata explained. "In this _haiku_, the theme is irony and dualism. The poet clearly established this in the first and last verses, in both, he compares the subject, and then says how long it lasts; our bodies, for a moment, and our souls, forever. The middle line is used to add depth to his thoughts and contrast the other lines; life is a dream from which our souls must wake up from."

Kiba tilted his head, a look of amusement on his face.

"What?"

"It's kind of funny," he explained, "_haiku_ are really short and sweet, but your supposed to take so much from them. Kind of an ironic poetry in itself."

"That's a good point," Hinata agreed.

The two continued with the improvised poetry lessons for a few minutes before Hinata said they should take a break.

"Okay," Kiba agreed. He pointed over to a small pond. "Why don't we go over there and let our Pokémon out? I'm sure your Totodile would like to take a swim."

"Good idea," Hinata said, smiling. She grabbed her Pokéball and tossed it over to the waterside. "Rhapsody, come out!"

The Pokémon appeared in a flash of energy. "Totodile," he announced, waving at his trainer. Then he noticed the pond. "Dile-dile!"

Happy as can be, Rhapsody twirled around a few times before jumping in.

SPLASH!

"Tototototot!" Laughing, the Totodile swam about in the water, kicking and splashing.

"He's a pleasant one," Kiba grinned.

Rhapsody noticed the Akamaru sitting by the shore, and swam over to him, waving for the Puppy-Pokémon to jump in. The Growlithe barked at him, running over to the shoreline and then away from it, teasing the Totodile. Rhapsody responded by splashing at him.

"Be good, you two," Hinata called, sitting down on a nearby bench.

"Don't worry about them," Kiba said, sitting down next to her. "Anyway, don't you have another Pokémon?"

Nodding, Hinata lifted her other Pokéball. "Waltz, come out to play."

The ball opened, and her Caterpie appeared on her lap.

Waltz looked around, and spotted Kiba. "Pi?"

"That's Kiba, my friend," Hinata explained.

"Hi there, little fella," Kiba said, waving.

The Pokémon looked him over before shrugging and climbed down Hinata's leg and over to a nearby tree and proceed to make his way up to the sweet leaves up high.

"Cute Pokémon," Kiba said.

"Thank you," Hinata responded, then added, "maybe you should call out your other Pokémon as well?"

"Good idea," Kiba grinned, grabbing the ball from his belt. "It'll we a great way to show him that I'm a good trainer. Chance, go!"

He tossed the ball, and a Poochyena appeared in a flash. Hinata could tell instantly that it was indeed the same one from yesterday. She smiled and tried to pet him.

The dog Pokémon responded with a growl that caused the girl to recoil.

"Chance!" Kiba scolded, smacking the Poochyena lightly on the tailside. "Bad dog! You don't bite people trying to pet you."

To which Chance responded in the most eloquent way he could: the mutt bit his owner's hand.

"Youch!" the boy cried out as he pulled his now-swelling finger back. "Bad Dog!"

Chance grinned in a satisfied way.

Kiba's eyes narrowed. "You really think it's a good idea to bite the hand that feeds you, pup? I don't have to feed you the good stuff, you know."

The Poochyena just snuffed at Kiba and turned away, looking around at where he was. That's when he spotted Waltz.

"Pooch pooch-yena!" Chance barked violently, jumping up and down, as if hoping the Caterpie would magically come within his reach.

"Piiiiiiiiiie!" the Bug type squealed, running back and forth among the tree branches.

"You leave him alone!" Hinata said with surprising fierceness, jumping up from the bench.

Startled, Chance whipped around, looking at Hinata with wide eyes. Then he bared his teeth and growled.

As Hinata jumped back, Kiba got to his feet quickly. "Don't you dare bite her-!"

PLOP!

Using a String Shot as a dragline, Waltz had slid down in-between his trainer and Chance. The Caterpie glared right back at the Poochyena, which didn't say much, as his big eyes were still adorable in spite of his angry look.

The two squared off for about half a second, and then Chance pounced.

PSSSSSSSHHHHHHH

"Aru!" Once again, Chance found himself on the receiving end of Walz's String Shot. However, instead of being in his mouth like last time, the sticky silk was all over the poor doggy, trapping it.

"Caterpie!" Waltz said, satisfied with himself. The bug turned around and looked at his owner.

"Good job," Hinata praised, to which Waltz jumped up in joy.

"Well, how do you like that?" Kiba said, knelling beside his trapped Pokémon. "So tell me, you think you learned your lesson?"

Chance whined rather pathetically.

"I'll take that as a 'yes'," Kiba chuckled. He pulled out a his Pokéball returned Chance.

Waltz let Hinata give him a 'thank you' pat before going back up the tree, contently eating leaves.

Kiba sat down on the far end of the bench; there was about 3 feet of space between the two.

They watched Akamaru and Rhapsody play in the water for a time. The two Pokémon were getting along quiet well; it seemed they invented some sort of game in which Akamaru would run up close to the water and Rhapsody would try to splash him as he ran away. After a while, the puppy Pokémon decided to call it quits and bounded over and plopped himself right into Hinata's lap.

"Oh!" the girl exclaimed, jumping a little. Laughing, she started petting the Growlithe. "Well aren't you friendly?"

"Be nice," Kiba said, glaring a little. But Hinata waved him off.

"It's okay," she explained as Akamaru curled up, "He just wants to be part of the conversation."

"I suppose you're right," Kiba admitted. "But he should know better then to jump in someone's lap like that."

Hinata shrugged and continued petting the puppy.

Sighing, Kiba leaded back, wondering what they should do next. "So, you wanna continue our _haiku_ lessons or something?" he asked awkwardly.

"Uh, sure," Hinata responded, equally awkward. "So, how about you go first, then?"

Kiba looked around, trying to find some inspiration. He noted Akamaru and smiled, clearing his throat.

_"Out in the forest,_

_Akamaru howls alone,_

_Will you hear the howl?"_

After finishing, Kiba scratched the back of his head. He had to pause half-way though saying it to count it out, and didn't speak as clearly as he wanted to. "Sorry, I know it wasn't very good"

"You did fine," Hinata insisted. "In fact, you're doing much better then I was on my first lesson."

"Now your just sayin' stuff," Kiba said with a playful growl. "Anyway, your turn."

Giving him a small, small smile, Hinata looked around, scanning for inspiration. A leaf fell onto her head, causing the girl to look up; Waltz shrugged apologetically. Hinata nodded, and closed her eyes in concentration. When she spoke, her voice was soft, but clear.

_"Caterpie does sleep,_

_In the winter, wrapped in silk,_

_And wakes, Butterfree"_

She finished, opening her eyes and looking at Kiba. "Was it any good?" she asked.

"Perfect," Kiba responded. He wasn't really a qualified _haiku_ judge, but he liked how Hinata seemed so different when she recited her poems. She wasn't exactly confident, but she was no longer being shy.

"You know, ever sense we started with the poetry, you've stopped stuttering," Kiba pointed out.

Hinata bushed and giggled slightly, not wanting to speak; if she did, she knew she'd start stuttering again.

A bell chiming caught Kiba's attention. Turning around, he saw the source of the sound was an ice-cream vender. "Oh, that's right," he said, jumping up, "I said we'd get some ice-cream, didn't I?"

"Oh, you don't have to-" Hinata began, but Kiba had already gotten up and was on his way over.

Sighing gently, Hinata reached for her pocketbook, careful not to disturbed Akamaru. It was nice of Kiba to be so eager, she mused.

The boy returned with two soft serve cones. "Hope you like vanilla," Kiba said, handing her one.

"Thank you," Hinata responded, taking it. She started to hand him some money with her free hand. "Here's for my cone."

Kiba pushed her hand back to her. "No way. It's my treat."

Hinata shook her head. "That's okay, I'll pay for it."

"Come on," Kiba said, "consider it my way of saying thank you for helping me catch Chance."

"You caught him yourself," Hinata pointed out. "I had nothing to do with that."

Kiba stuck out his lip. "Of course you did. And anyway, what kind of date would I be-?"

"W-We're not on a date!" Hinata near shouted, jumping up suddenly. Aside from sending poor Akamaru to the floor without warning, her sudden movement caused her ice-cream to fall-

_PLOP!_

-right onto her jacket.

"Eew," Hinata whined. "This is my only jacket"

"I'm sorry," Kiba said sheepishly. "I-I'll go get some napkins." He ran back over to the vender.

"Thank you," Hinata said as he gave her a handful of napkins. She sat down and started to wipe the ice-cream off her front.

"Here, let me help," Kiba offered hastily, starting to wipe down her jacket.

"No! I got it," Hinata insisted. She knew that he was only trying to help, but to anyone else, it looked like the boy was pawing at her jacket! What would Father saw if he saw her now!

"No really, I wanna help," Kiba explained. He really wanted to fix this mess before she got mad and stormed off.

"Please, I can handle this," Hinata said, with a surprising amount of force in her voice.

"I know, but-"

"No!"

Akamaru jumped up and tried to help by licking the ice-cream off her; Hinata reacted accordingly by shoving them both away almost violently.

"Stop!" she insisted, "I can handle this!"

"I just wanna help," Kiba pleaded, not realizing how much of fool he was making himself into.

"NO!"

**0o0o0o0**

Naruto couldn't believe it! It looked like some creep was mugging Hinata, grabbing at her jacket while she was trying to fend him off!

"You'll pay for that!" Naruto shouted, running at them. Shouting a swearword he learned form his mother, Naruto leapt into the air, spinning into a flying roundhouse kick. Naruto's heel slammed into the side of mugger's face with such force that he was sent sprawling. "**YOU MOTHER GRABBIN' SON OF A KUMO MONK!**"*

Landing in a crouching position, Naruto quickly turned to Hinata. "You okay?"

However, the girl was so flustered by his arrival and sudden attack of Kiba that all she could say was, "Na-N-Naruto! What are-?"

"WHO SAID YOU COULD GET UP?" Naruto screamed as the mugger was trying to crawl up. The boy bolted over and kicked him back down and then pinned the creep's shoulders down.

"Naruto, stop!" Hinata shouted, but the boy's adrenaline rush and anger tuned her out.

"You like mugging defenseless girls, do ya?" Naruto hissed. "Well, you like this!" he demanded, punching the creep in the face. "How 'bout this!" He shocked in again. "Or this-"

Before he could deliver a third strike, something bit down onto Naruto's arm. Whipping around, Naruto saw that it was an angry Growlithe. It growled and chomped down, causing the boy to loosen his hold on Kiba as pain laced though his arm.

"Off!" Naruto said, whipping his arm back and forth to try and loose the mutt.

Using the distraction, Kiba wrenched an arm free and grabbed a handful of the blond's hair and started wrestling with him.

"What's your problem, man!" Kiba demanded after pinning his opponent down.

"You!" he snapped back, slamming his forehead into Kiba's lip.

"ARRHG!" Kiba retched back, hand over his busted lip.

"Stop! _Stop_! _**STOP!**_" Hinata shouted as loud as she could, finally grabbing both boys' attention. "This is just a misunderstanding!"

"He attacked me!" Kiba protested.

"You were mugging her!" Naruto growled, trying to yank Akamaru off of his arm.

"Let him go!" Kiba shouted.

Both Akamaru and Naruto released each other at once, the Pokémon running over to his master's side.

"Please, both of you," Hinata said, almost crying. A crowd of people had started to form, and she was feeling so embarrassed. "Naruto, this is Kiba. He's my friend; he was just trying to help me clean up a spill. Kiba, this is Naruto; he's a one of my friends I'm traveling with. Now, both of you, apologize and-"

"No way!" both of the boys shouted at the same time.

Hinata was so shocked she jumped back. "What?"

"That jerk kicked me in the face!" Kiba growled, pointing at his now swollen face.

"That's because you were attacking her!" Naruto retorted defensively.

"I was helping her clean up a stain on her jacket."

"She was pushing you away!"

"That doesn't mean I was mugging her!"

"Sure as Houndoom looked like it!"

"Please stop," Hinata whined. Lots of people were staring at them now.

"And who do you think you are, anyway?" Kiba demanded, "Her boyfriend?"

"Leave me out of this, at least," Hinata begged, sinking down as she felt people staring at them.

"I know you ain't her boyfriend!" Naruto resounded.

"And how do you know that? You a mind-reader?"

"I know Hinata wouldn't go out with a filthy dog like you!"

"Like you're a prize!" Kiba said pointedly, "You go around kickin' people in the head, you psycho!"

"And you pulled on my hair like a little girly-girl," Naruto retorted mockingly.

"Stop it, you're making a scene!" Hinata tried again, but to no avail.

"You attacked me from behind," Kiba growled.

"We'll I'm standing in front of you right now!" Naruto said in a threatening voice, taking a step forward.

"Don't-" Hinata began, but Kiba cut her off.

"Is that a challenge?" he asked, stepping forward as well and puffing out his chest.

"And what if it is, tough guy?" Naruto said, baring his teeth.

Kiba opened his mouth to respond-

SLAP!

SLAP!

Stunned, the two boys actually shut up, their faces stinging where Hinata had slapped them. They looked at her; the poor girl was near tears and red-faced with humiliation. Then they realized just how many people were now staring at them.

"Hinata, I-" Kiba began.

"No, I don't want to hear it!" Hinata cried. "Just leave me alone!"

"I'm sorry Hinata," Naruto said reached over to try and hug her, but the girl jerked away.

"I said leave me alone!" she repeated, turning and running away.

**0o0o0**

"That's great, Jane!" Sakura said, cheering as the Mankey delivered a vicious Scratch attack.

The Fighting Pokémon landed gracefully, having jumped high after the Ducklett.

Ino cringed. In spite of type advantage, this fight had been even. "Fly higher," she ordered, "Stay out of that beast's range."

Quacking a response, Odette flapped her wings hard, quickly rising over 12 feet in the air.

Sakura scoffed. "Is that all you can do, Ino; run away? Jane, climb the jungle-gym and let's show her how far you can jump."

"Key!" Growling, the pig-monkey ran over to said climbing-gym and clamber up it.

However, as soon as she way halfway up, a squirt of water knocked her right off.

"Forget that Odette fights at a range?" Ino mockingly asked as Jane it the floor. She glanced proudly at her Pokémon. "Fire your Water Gun at will, honey!"

The Mankey rolled onto her feet, dodging the blast of water. Hissing, she stomped angrily. What a dirty tactic!

"Don't get frustrated," Sakura instructed. "Use the playground for cover!"

Jane nodded and dove behind a slide, evading another and then stated weaving and jumping from one set of equipment to the next.

Ducking under a stream of water, Jane flipped over onto a roundabout and kicked the ground to get it spinning.

Odette squawked and stared as the Mankey went round-and-round.

"Keep shooting!" Ino called, gritting her teeth.

"Duck-Duck!" She fired another Water Gun, but Jane was moving too fast.

The Mankey suddenly let go and flew off the roundabout. She landed on a swing set, going way back into the air before being swung forward and jumping out at the height of the swing.

"Go, Jane, Go!" Sakura cheered as her Pokémon flew at Ino's, claws outstretched-

BAM!

Someone had ran into Sakura, sending them both to the ground.

"HEY!" the pink-haired girl screamed, ready to pound in someone's head, "What's your prob-"

She stopped midway, realizing, much to her shock, that the person in question was Hinata! The girl was sniffling with red, teary eyes, and looked humiliated.

"Wh-What happened?" Sakura asked, getting to her feet and helping Hinata to hers.

Hinata opened her mouth twice, each time shutting it and crying some more.

"What happened?" Sakura repeated forcefully.

Hinata muttered something.

"Come again?"

The girl took in a deep breath, holding it in for a few seconds. After that, Hinata spoke, very softly. "K-Kiba and Naruto sortta got into a f-fight and..."

"What?" Sakura demanded. "What was Naruto doing there? How did they get into a fight?"

"What's going on?" Ino butted in, finally getting tired of being ignored. She had been calling over from the other side of the battlefield before finally getting so exasperated she just walked over. "I thought we were in the middle of a battle-"

"Screw that!" Sakura shouted. Both Ino and Hinata both jumped. "I've got better things to do, like find out what Naruto and Kiba did."

"No! Wait-!" the soft-spoken girl said.

But it was too late. Sakura whipped out her Pokéball, called Jane back, picked up Waterlily, and ran off in the direction Hinata had come from.

"But what about our match!" Ino asked, saying to herself more then anyone else.

She turned and looked at the crying girl before sighing. "Stay here."

With that, Ino returned her own Pokémon and ran after Sakura.

**0o0o0**

When Sakura found the boys, they were sitting on a bench, looking miserable. She could see that Kiba's face was bruised and swollen from a blow, and cringed imagining what Naruto had done this time.

When she approached, Naruto opened his mouth, but the girl cut him off. "I don't wanna hear it, Naruto," Sakura said apparently, "just tell me how you made Hinata cry."

"Uh, well," Naruto said rubbing the back of his head and looking at Kiba. "Well, it's a funny story."

"That girl wasn't laughing" Ino told coldly, walking up from behind Sakura.

"Who dat?" Naruto asked, tilting his head.

"Never mind, she's just a fiend of mine," Sakura said, waving her hand.

Ino gave her a glance at the world 'friend,' but said nothing. Meanwhile, Kiba was wondering how his life became so complicated.

"Now, start explaining," Sakura insisted.

"Well, uh..."

**0o0o0**

When Sasuke came to, the first thing he noticed was that he was back in the secret room. The second thing was that he was tied up and gagged. The boy fought against his bindings, but he could already tell he wouldn't be able to get free. Growling, he looked around.

He spotted a tray on the ledge of the examining table. If that phony doctor had actually been dumb enough to leave some equipment out, like a scalpel or knife, Sasuke'd be home free!

Struggling, the boy flipped over onto his belly and squirmed over to a table. He got up onto his knees and reached with his nose. Darn, the tray was just out of his reach.

Gritting his teeth, Sasuke tried jumping up, but it proved difficult. The first two times, he ended up falling over onto his face. However, he finally knocked the tray over...

...only to have it fall smack on his face!

"Arrrrghh!" His vision was blotted out by stars. "To Houndoom with it all!"

"Shinx?"

Sasuke's eyes flew open at the unexpected sound.

Akodo was looking down at him with a curious eye (his left eye was still covered with a bandage.

"Akodo, how did you get here?" Sasuke asked. Actually, with his mouth being gagged, he said, "Ahoho, huo ho hou het heor?" but the Shinx understood enough to move to the side and point at his Pokéball, which had fallen from the table onto the floor when Sasuke had knocked the tray down.

Sasuke smiled as best he could. He couldn't believe those crooks were stupid enough to leave his Pokéballs behind.

**0o0o0**

"-and that's what happened," Naruto concluded, looking rather sheepish and ashamed of himself.

Sakura looked down at him, her glaring eyes burning holes right though him. The girl breathed in deep before asking, "And you didn't think to apologize?"

"I told you already," Naruto protested, "I tried, but Hinata just ran away- Ow!"

Without warning, Sakura hit him on the head.

"That's not good enough!" she shouted angrily, hitting him again for good measure. "You should have gone after her and tried again instead of mopping around, feeling sorry for yourselves!"

Kiba looked ever so slightly smug, saying, "I told you- Ouch!"

Sakura hit him as well.

"You're just as bad as him!" she scolded.

"But-!" both boys began, but this time, Ino cut them off.

"Why didn't you listen to Hinata when she tried to get you two to stop fighting," she asked pointedly, "instead of waiting for her to be completely embarrassed?"

Naruto opened his mouth to speak, but he closed it in shame.

"We were angry and stupid," Kiba said, head hung low.

Naruto nodded solemnly.

"Well then," Sakura growled, "Why don't you stop sitting around here and go apologize now?"

"You're right," Naruto said, getting up to his feet. "But, what do we say-?"

BAM!

"Stop talking and do it!" Sakura shouted, pointing to where Hinata was.

The two guys recoiled in fear and ran off, not sure exactly what to do, but resolved to do it!

Sakura watched the two until they disappeared. She sighed in exasperation, "Why are men so stupid?"

"Beats me," Ino responded. "Did you _really_ need to keep hitting them, though? They felt bad enough as is."

"You don't know Hinata. She's really shy and sensitive, and she comes from the Hyuga Clan," Sakura explained.

Ino raised her eyebrows a bit.

"Yeah," Sakura said, "so just imagine how bad it would be if her father got wind of this; how bad Hinata would feel."

"Okay, I get it," Ino sighed, "no need to beat a dead Ponyta."

Waterlily started to fuss around, so Sakura set the Azurill down and let her play in the pond. "So, do you still want to continue our battle?" Sakura asked slowly.

Ino smiled and shook her head. "Nah, I was being pretty petty and immature back there. Sorry about that, by the way."

Sakura grinned just a bit. "Don't feel too sorry; I was just as bad."

"Yeah," Ino countered, "but that's normal for you."

"Watch it," Sakura said warningly, "we just made up; no need to start another battle, right?"

"True enough," Ino admitted. Then she said, after a pause, "When did we become friends again?"

"When we had a common hate for two boys?" Sakura suggested.

Ino was about to respond, but something behind Sakura caught her attention, causing her eyes to go wide with delight. "A snowy Eevee!" she cried, grabbing a Pokéball from her belt.

"What!" Sakura whipped around, and sure enough, she could see Bayushi running towards them.

"It's so _cuuuute_!" Ino squealed, "I'm gonna catch it!"

"Wait!" Sakura said, grabbing Ino's arm before she could throw her Pokéball.

"Don't even try it, Sakura," Ino growled, pulling away. "I saw it first, and there's no way you could convince me to let you catch it!"

"That Eevee belongs to Sasuke!" Sakura shouted. As if to prove it, Bayushi ran right up to her and jumped on to her shoulder. "See?" She looked at the Eevee questioningly. "But what are you doing here, without Sasuke?"

"Hey! Hey, girls!"

Sakura and Ino both looked up to see who was calling them.

A man in a doctor's coat with a fresh black eye and a broken nose came running up to them. Ino flinched at the sight of him.

"That Eevee's mine! Er, I mean, I'm a Pokémon doctor and that Eevee was in my care when he ran away" he huffed, leaning on his knees. "Thanks for finding him for me." The man reached out, but Sakura only stepped away.

"You're not a Pokémon doctor," she said coldly, reaching for a Pokéball.

From her shoulder, Bayushi hissed in agreement.

"Whatta mean?" the phony doctor asked quickly, taking another step forward.

"I mean you're a fake!" Sakura said fiercely, being sure to put distance between him as she spoke. Ino followed suit and grabbed a Pokéball as well. "For starters, that's a fetal stethoscope on your neck. You use it to listen to a baby's heartbeat; a Pokédoctor wouldn't use that. And the coat you're wearing is stolen; it's a size too small. And if you were a real doctor, you would have sent an assistant to get Eevee while you fixed your stupid broken nose!"

"Oh, burned by a 12-year-old," Ino added smugly.

"Alright, you little brat," the fake hissed, "give me that Eevee!"

He lunged, but both Sakura and Ino were ready.

"Jane!"

"Odette!"

A flash, and the two Pokémon appeared. They may have been a little battle-worn, but they looked pumped and ready to fight.

The man staggered back. "If that's the way you want to play, fine!" He pulled out two Pokéballs and chucked them. "Patrat, Starly! Get rid of these girls!"

**0o0o0**

Hinata sat down on a swing, crying gently. She couldn't believe how things had exploded in her face!

"Pie?" a squeaky voice at her feet pondered.

"Ahh!" Hinata jumped up, but then stopped when she saw it was Waltz, who was being carried by Rhapsody. The loyal dears must have followed after her when she ran off.

"Oh!" she sighed. Then a pang of guilt hit her. "I left both of you behind! I'm such a bad trainer!"

"To-to," Rhapsody said sympathetically, patting her while Waltz climbed into her lap.

She smiled and stroked them affectionately. "I'm sorry," she said softly.

Sighing, Hinata looked up. "I shouldn't have done that," she admitted.

Rhapsody gave her a confused look, so she went on. "I shouldn't have slapped Naruto and Kiba and just run off; especially without you. That didn't solve anything... They probably feel terrible now. And now Sakura and her friend are going to be yelling at them." Then she added, "No wonder they haven't come looking for me..."

Guiltily, she realized that's what she was hoping they would do. To come and see how bad and embarrassed they mad her feel, and for them to feel sorry and apologize to her...Hinata couldn't believe how much of a spoiled child she was being. "No wonder Father's so disappointed with me..."

"Pie-Caterpie" Waltz protested, looking at her sadly.

"Dile-dile!" Rhapsody agreed.

"Oh, thanks, guys" Hinata sighed, "I-"

She stopped talking when something furry suddenly rocketed into her, sending the girl flying off the swing-set.

"Whoa!" Hinata screamed, scrambling up and looking around wildly for whatever knocked her down.

Rhapsody had found and was now holding up the culprit: Puck.

"Furret, Furret! Ret-ret-fur!" Puck said quickly, escaping Rhapsody's hold.

Hinata didn't understand, but both Waltz and Rhapsody did, and now all three Pokémon were jumping up and down in front of her, crying out and protesting.

"Wh-what's going on?" Hinata stammered, "I don't understand."

"Then I'll explain it to you!"

Once again, Hinata jumped at the unexpended voice. It belonged to an spiteful-looking woman who's face was covered with still-bleeding cat scratches. Nearby, a Meowth. "Give me the Furret!" the woman said harshly, "and you know what? Give me your other Pokémon as well!"

"Wh-what?" Hinata said, stumbling back onto her rear.

"Stop stuttering and do it!" the woman snapped. She turned to her Meowth. "Take her!"

It looked at her for a moment in confusion, but the woman kicked it and the Cat Pokémon ran at Hinata fearfully, baring it's claws-

"TotoDILE!" Rhapsody shouted, jumping forward and blasting the Meowth away with a Water Gun.

"Caterpie!" Waltz hissed, crawling forward as well.

"Rhapsody! Waltz!" Hinata said slowly, astounded.

"Fine, be that way!" the woman shouted, breaking out a Pokéball. She tossed it, and out came a white squirrel Pokémon Hinata didn't recognize. "I need something to vent my frustration out on!"

Gritting her teeth, Hinata got up. "Waltz, use String Shot on the Meowth; scratch the squirrel, Rhapsody!"

"Fake Out, Meowth!" The Scratch Cat Pokémon moved blindingly fast, striking at first Waltz then Rhaposdy, disrupting their attacks.

"Now hit the Totodile with a Spark, Pachirisu!" the woman commanded.

The squirrel Pokémon's cheeks sparked with electricity that traveled about it's body surrounding it. The Pachirisu then charged forward, tackling into Rhapsody, severely shocking it.

"An Electric type?" Hinata gasped, taking out her Pokédex.

"Pachirisu, the Electric Squirrel Pokémon," it chimed in a feminine voice. "This hyperactive Pokémon generates electricity while it moves, storing it in the fur and releasing it through its cheeks. When it stores berries, it leaves behind balls of charged fur to prevent others from stealing its stash."

Hinata winced inwardly; she was at a disadvantage here.

"Give up!" the woman shouted, as if reading the young girl's mind. "You're just a kid, and I'm a member of the Snake Clan! You can't win."

"Pie!" Waltz spat defiantly, using a String Shot to bind both the cat and squirrel Pokémon.

Hinata gritted her teeth in determination. "My Pokémon won't give up, and neither will I! Rhapsody, soak them with Water Gun!"

The Totodile fired a jet of water at the two subdued Pokémon; the Meowth hissed in anger while the Pachirisu endured it.

"A Water attack against an Electric type; is that the best you can do?" the thuggish woman taunted. "Meowth, Scratch free of the web and charge up another Spark, Pachirisu."

The two Pokémon obediently went to work. However, as soon as the Electric Pokémon's cheeks lit up, both Pokémon were suddenly shocked.

"GAHH!"

"What's going on?" the woman shouted, brandishing her fists.

"Rhapsody's Water Gun soaked both Pokémon, and Rhapsody stuck them together," Hinata explained smugly. "When you had your Pachirisu use Spark, electricity traveled though the water to your Meowth, and then though Waltz's silk back to Pachirisu, completing the circuit and electrocuting both of them."

The thug ground her teeth. "Clever, little girl, but that won't change anything."

"We'll see!" Hinata said. "Rhapsody, keep it up!"

**0o0o0**

"Starly, use Wing Attack on the Mankey!"

The bird Pokémon flew high and then dove at Jane, wings spread.

"Stop him, Odette!" Ino ordered.

The Water Bird Pokémon rammed into the Starly, protecting her partner. "Thanks, Ino," Sakura said, grinning.

The fake doctor winced; the two girls were working together perfectly. "Patrat, Leer down the bird!"

"Ah-ha!" Sakura laughed. "Jane, show 'em a real Leer!"

The Patrat's wicked red and yellow eye glowed sinisterly. Instead of being frightened, Sakura's Mankey just glared right back, the heat of her eyes actually causing the Scout Pokémon to back away.

"Screw it, Patrat," the man ordered, "Just hit her with a Bite-"

WSSSHHHH!

Odette cut him off, hitting the distracted Patrat with her Water Gun. Not wasting anytime, Jane jumped forward and delivered a sliding kick at the Normal Pokémon, sending it reeling.

However, instead of looking worried, the man just shouted, "Now, Starly!"

Flying into Odette, the bird locked talons with her and started slapping with its wings.

"Fight him off!" Ino ordered. Odette tried, but her foe was far stronger.

Sakura turned to Jane. "Hit that thing's wing with a Karate Chop!"

"Mankey," Jane nodded. She rushed up a nearby tree and then kicked off into the air, grabbing onto the Starly's back. The added weight pulled all three Pokémon to the ground. Jane took aim at her foe's left wing, and stuck, screaming a Ki shout. "Man-KEY!"

Her attack hit true, and the enemy Pokémon released Odette as it staggered in pain.

"Use Wing Attack," Ino commanded. Odette slapped the Starly with her wing; it hit the ground and didn't get up.

"Patrat, Bite!"

The Patrat snuck up behind Jane and leapt onto her back, biting down.

"Key-key!" she shrieked, thrashing around and trying to get the thing off her. However, it stuck tight.

"That's it!" the crook cheered.

"Help her!" Sakura shouted at Ino.

"Wing Attack that rat off Jane!" she responded, looking at Odette.

The Ducklett flew around, trying to get a clear shot, but Jane kept moving around. Finally, Odette shouted at the Mankey to hold still, and she was able to smack it off.

Once the Patrat was off, Jane finished it was a Karate Chop.

"Ha, we win!" Ino cheered, high-fiving Sakura. The two girls turned to the fake doctor. "Now, why don't you beat it- Where did he go?"

"Got ya!" The man, seeing that he wouldn't win, simply snuck up behind Sakura and lunged at her, reaching for the Eevee on her shoulder.

"Hey!" Sakura pushed him away, but the man just grabbed her throat.

"BACK OFF!" Ino shouted. She pushed something against his neck, and the man started convulsing and shaking violently, letting go of Sakura and hitting the ground. Bayushi jumped off of Sakura's shoulder and hit him in the gut, knocking him out.

"Wh-What did you do to him," the pink haired girl asked, messaging her neck.

"Have a look," the blond responded, holding up a small, black device; it was a taser.

Sakura's eyes widened. "Why do you have that?"

"Daddy bought it for me," Ino explained. "He wanted to make sure I was safe; good thing he did, huh?" She grinned evilly. "Say, why don't you try it out?" she suggested, motioning to the unconscious thug.

"No, I couldn't!" Sakura said quickly.

"Come on! The man tried to choke you," Ino argued. "Not like he don't deserve it"

"Uh-uh!" Sakura said firmly, "I'm not going to sink to his-"

"Oughhh," the thug moaned, stirring.

"DIE!" Sakura shouted, grabbing the taser from Ino and jabbing him in the neck, pulling the trigger.

"Ahh!" He shook violently before going limp.

Wide eyed, Sakura looked at the device like it was a smoking gun. "Oh! I didn't mean to..."

"Don't worry," Ino teased, "you only did it in self defense. Now, let's call the cops before some of this friends show up."

Sakura rolled her eyes. "Yeah right, if he had friends, they'd have shown up-"

Someone put their hand on her shoulder. "Sakura-!"

"AHHHH!" Screaming, the girl stabbed the taser into the person behind her, pulling the trigger.

After a few seconds, Sakura recognized the screams of agony, and opened her eyes; it was Sasuke. She also realized now would be a good time to stop tazering him.

"...Sasuke?" Sakura said as she pulled the tazer away, "uh...you okay?"

"Is that you, Grandpa?" the boy asked, hitting the ground.

"Oh no, I killed him!" Sakura shouted.

**0o0o0**

Waltz and Rhapsody both slammed into the Meowth. It hit the ground, and struggled to get up before collapsing, out cold.

"Good job!" Hinata said, unable to believe she was winning.

"Useless cat!" the woman spat, returning it. "Pachirisu, don't fail me!"

"Waltz, use Sting Shot."

The Caterpie sent another stream of sticking silk at the squirrel. However, it jumped above the stream, and then took hold of the threads and sent a bolt of electricity though them to Waltz.

"Help him, Rhapsody!" Hinata cried.

"Tototo!" He shot a steam of Water at his foe, but the Pachirisu just jumped out of the way, rushing forward and tackling him with another Spark. This time, the Totodile didn't get up.

"Rhapsody!" Hinata pulled out her Pokéball and re-called him. "Oh, I'm sorry!"

"Enough of this!" the thug woman shouted, "Pachirisu, just take her out!"

"Pachi!" It ran at Hinata, wreathed in electricity.

Just as it jumped at the girl, something jerked it back.

"Su?" The Electric Pokémon turned around to see that the Caterpie had lassoed its tail with a String Shot. Hissing, the squirrel sent a volt at the bug, who held him back still.

"Waltz!" his owner shouted, getting up to try and help him. However, the Snake Clan woman blocked her path, holding up a club-like branch.

"I've had enough!" she screamed, swinging her club.

Hinata clenched her eyes.

BAM!

"Back off, Hag!"

"Growlithe!"

Surprised, Hinata opened her eyes. Naruto was standing over the woman's unconscious form, while Kiba and Akamaru were chasing off the Pachirisu.

As soon as her eyes met Naruto's, the boy spoke up. "She was attacking you right! It looked like that! I didn't just roundhouse kick some innocent bystander **again**, right?"

"Of course she was attacking Hinata!" Kiba growled, running over to see if the girl was okay. "She was swinging a club at her, Stupid!"

"Hinata, are you alright?" Naruto asked, ignoring Kiba's insult.

"Naruto...Kiba," Hinata said, getting teary-eyed. Without warning, she threw her arms around them, pulling the two boys into a tight hug.

"!" Both boys looked at each other, not sure what was going on.

"I though girls didn't forgive easy," Kiba whispered to Naruto, who just shrugged.

She finally let go when Waltz pulled at her leg.

"Oh, Waltz, you saved me," she said, wiping a tear from her eye.

"Cat...er...pie?" Strangely, Waltz began to glow. Then, he started wrapping himself in silk, changing his shape.

"Waltz?" Hinata squeaked.

The glow faded, and a new Pokémon was there; a green cocoon shaped one.

"Metapod," he said softly.

"He evolved," Naruto said, pulling out his Pokédex.

"Metapod, the Cocoon Pokémon. Metapod is the evolved from of Caterpie and is very vulnerable in this unmoving form while it waits to evolve into Butterfree. Swift evolution is the key to the Caterpie line's survival."

"Whoa, that's so neat!" Naruto said.

However, a certain Furret suddenly appeared out of no-where, slinking up to Hianta's Pokémon.

"Puck, how did you get here?" Naruto demanded.

His Pokémon just ignored him and started licking Waltz as if he was a lollipop.

"Puck, I said you couldn't eat him!" Naruto shouted.

Puck continued to ignore his master, and bit down on the Metapod...only to cry out in pain and jump away!

"Despite being near helpless, Metapod can use Harden to make his shell tougher then a sheet of steel," the Pokédex explained

"Ha!" Naruto shouted, pointing at Puck and laughing, "Serves you right!"

"...but, what was that woman even chasing Puck for?" Hinata asked.

"Huh?"

**0o0o0**

When Sasuke woke up, he found himself surrounded by people. There was Hinata, Sakura, Naruto, and two people he didn't know: a blond girl and a wild-man looking boy. Oh, and there was Bayushi, Waterlily, and some Growlithe

"Rise and shine, sleeping beauty!" Naruto cheered, slapping his friend on the shoulder.

"Buzz off," Sasuke growled. "Where am I?"

"At the Pokémon center. The cops say that those two people that were running the center weren't doctors! They was members of the Snake Clan!" Naruto explained.

"I figured that out already when they tried to steal Bayushi and attacked me," Sasuke said darkly, "tell me something I don't know."

"Uh, Sakura, Ino, and Hinata kicked their Snaky butts and saved Bayushi and Puck?" Naruto said.

"Okay," Sasuke sighed, "and who's Ino?"

"Me!" the girl with blond hair said, raising her hand eagerly.

"And you?" Sasuke asked, turning to the wild boy.

"Kiba Inuzuka," he said proudly, puffing his chest out, "and this is Akamaru," he added, pointing at his Growlithe.

"Fantastic," Sasuke replied sarcastically. He paused for a while. "So, how did I get knocked out at the park again?"

Both Ino and Sakura looked at each other. "Uh..."

**End of Chapter**

0

**Author's Notes:**

Sorry this took so long. Hopefully, I'll update at a steadier pace in the future.

*Naruto's insult comes from one my brother invited, "Son of a Turkish Monk." He made it all very randomly, and it is not meant to offend any Turkish people or sons of monks.


	9. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer**

Let me just start out with the standard Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, Pokémon, or any of the associated or mentioned franchises/companies, and I am not making a profit on this.

**Review Response**:

Sorry this took so very long to write, but on the bright side, it is a VERY long chapter. Now, on to the reviews!

To StormDragon666:

Thank you for your Loyalty and support. Please continue to tell your thoughts and opinions on this story

To mwto:

Good ideas on Pokémon for the team. I will consider them

To Darkflight_of_Deathclan:

Glad you like my story so far, and hope you continue to like it.

To twilght8899:

Thanks for the review. No, Hinata couldn't have kept the Meowth, because it belonged to someone else (even if that person was a criminal).

To loud_one_in_disguise:

Thanks for the support. Your review was kind of hard to read.

To Spartan-Major:

Thanks for your support, and yes, I know which Pokémon is from which generation (I just finished Pokémon White).

Pokémon Konoha

Chapter 8

"Okay, Sasuke, it seems you're just fine," Doctor Duran said, finishing his examination. He was a tall and thin man, wore square glasses, and had a face as long a Ponyta's. "Nothing's wrong with you, and those burns on your neck should go away in a few days."

It turned out that the Snake Clan fakers had stashed the real doctor and nurse away in a holding cell designed for uncontrollable Pokémon. The police had found them, and were now questioning everyone, looking though all the files and taking notes on everything. Part of Sasuke wondered if word of this would reach his father. After all, he considered even the smallest activities of the organization important. Maybe he'd be proud of his boy for helping to turn in some of the Clan's members. Then Sasuke shook his head. His Father would probably be embarrassed that Sasuke was caught and tied up by the thugs, and would hope no one would mention it.

Sakura had ordered the boy to have the Doctor check him up and make sure he wasn't injured from the 'tazing incident.'

Sighing, Sasuke jumped off the table and made his way for the door, Bayushi following ever faithfully.

"Just a second!" a peppy voice called.

Sasuke turned around and faced Jennifer, the Center's nurse and receptionist. She was a pleasant-faced woman with curly, neon-pink dyed hair and full lips painted electric blue; crazy appearance aside, she seemed to be very sensible and smart.

"You forgot something," she explained, holding something behind her back. Her grin was somehow...mischievous.

"What-?" Sasuke begin, only for the nurse to stick a raspberry sucker into his mouth.

"Here you go," Jennifer said, "a little sugar for a Sugar. Enjoy." She then added quietly, "Lord knows you could do with some sweetening up."

Putting on a forced smile, Sasuke thanked them and walked out, spitting the candy out into the first trashcan he found. He _hated_ sweets!

"So, did the Doc say if it was terminal?" Naruto teased, grabbing hold of Sasuke's shoulder. He had been waiting outside for him.

Sasuke chose to ignore him. "Where is everyone?"

"Hinata, Sakura and Kiba are in the nursery," Naruto said. "Ino went to bed; said something about wanting to get up early for something."

"Good, now show me the way to the nursery," Sasuke instructed.

**0o0o0**

The nursery was like an indoor green room, meant to allow a Pokémon to rest in a more natural environment. It had a small pond, trees, grass, and benches and tables for trainers.

Sakura, Hinata and Kiba had already let their Pokémon out: Jane was swinging around in the trees, Waterlily and Rhapsody were swimming along and having a good time, and Kiba's puppies were wrestling, though Sasuke couldn't tell if they were playing or _really_ fighting. Waltz was...sitting still, not moving a muscle, though Naruto thought he was looking at the leaves in the trees longingly.

Bayushi noticed that Sakura's lap was Azurill-free (a rare event indeed), and promptly ran over and jumped into her lap. Sakura laughed in surprise.

"Hey guys!" Naruto shouted, taking out his Pokéballs. A moment later, Kata and Puck appeared. "Go have some fun, you two," Naruto explained, waving his hands.

Puck ran over to Waltz and looked him over, wondering whether or not he could be eaten, before settling on some berries on a bush nearby, while Kata looked around and explored.

"Don't get too wound up," Sakura warned. "Bedtime's in 10 minutes, understand?"

"Let them have some fun," Kiba said, crossing his arms, "how else you gonna gain their trust?"

"Says the boy who's bitten by his Poochyena every time he calls him out." Sakura pointed out.

"Call out your boys, Sasuke," Naruto suggested, sitting down with the rest of the group.

Sasuke nodded. "Togashi, Akodo, out."

The Charmander and Shinx materialized. Togashi went over to Kata and the two started walking around together, but Akodo stayed close to Sasuke, slightly rubbing up against his leg.

Sasuke smiled slightly and scratched the feline behind the ear.

"So, did the Doctor say you're okay, Sasuke?" Sakura asked as the boy sat down nearby.

"Fine," Sasuke grunted.

Akodo jumped up on the bench next to his master, laying down with his paws crossed, looking dignified.

"Stop it!" Hinata suddenly shouted, glaring at Puck, who had started licking her Metapod.

"If he wants to break his teeth on Waltz's shell, let him," Naruto said, looking at his Furret crossly. "He'll learn eventually.'

"But he's upsetting Waltz," Hinata pointed out, hands on her hips.

"Good point," Naruto admitted. He got up, and started telling Puck off.

The Furret stuck his tongue out and bounded away.

"Why you miserable little-!" Naruto shouted, chasing after him.

Watching the boy dive into the bushes after his disobedient Pokémon, Sakura chuckled and looked down at Bayushi. "Too bad Puck's not nearly as well-behaved as you, huh baby?"

Bayushi purred loudly and rubbed up in her arms.

"You're a good boy, even if you are so spoiled," Sasuke said, smiling slightly, not even noticing when Akodo started pushing up against him.

Hinata noticed the Shinx glaring at Bayushi, and was about to say something when Kiba cut her off.

"Hey, look," the wild boy called, pointing.

Akamaru, Togashi, Puck, and Kata were now tossing a ball back and forth.

"Their all finally playing together," Kiba said

"All?" Sakura asked, cocking an eyebrow. "Are you sure you're counting that right?"

"Sure," Kiba responded. "There's Akamaru, Togashi, Kata, Puck and...where's Chance?"

Naruto snickered and pointed to the door. The Poochyena was trying to dig under it and make a break for freedom.

"_**Hey! Get back here, you ingrate!**_"

**0o0o0**

When it came time for bed, most everyone agreed to let their Pokémon sleep in the nursery. It would do them good resting in their natural environments. However, Kiba declined; Akamaru slept with him always, and he couldn't let Chance out of his sight too long or the pup might escape.

Bayushi was an inside Pokémon, and insisted on staying with Sakura. Sasuke couldn't bring himself to argue against it and agreed.

Yawning, Sasuke stretched on his bed. Naruto, of course, had fallen asleep within five minutes of lying down, and was now snoring away. Sasuke turned over and tried to tune it out, but the blond was being even louder then normal.

He was about to get up and stuff a sock in Naruto's big mouth when something scratched on the door.

Figuring it was Bayushi, wanting to sleep with him for some reason, Sasuke got up and opened it. Much to his surprise, a long furry thing zoomed in.

Sasuke yelped slightly before realizing it was only Puck.

"What are you doing here?" he whispered, squinting in the dark.

The Furret looked up at him real pitifully, eyes big and watery, before whining softly.

Sighing, Sasuke just shrugged and closed the door. "Sleep with Naruto."

Quickly, Puck climbed up onto Naruto's bed, and looked around. A minute later, he was curled up on Naruto's stomach.

Then he was stretched out on his back, tail over one side of the bed and head over the other.

Then Puck tried curling around his owner's feet. But Naruto kept kicking at him.

Finally, Puck ended up wrapped around Naruto's head. The two contently slumbered.

Sasuke chuckled softly at Naruto sleeping through all that before grabbing his PokéNav and taking a picture of the sickeningly cute scene. Aside from being useful blackmail for the future, Sasuke would be sure to send it to his mother in the morning, who would of course send it to Naruto's mother. Aunty Kushina would show it off to everyone and give Sasuke a kiss for sending it.

Blushing slightly at the thought, Sasuke was able to drift asleep, now that Naruto's snoring had finally quieted down.

.

_**Later that night...**_

.

_Tap_

"Zzz.."

_Tap-tap!_

"Zzz- Grhr? Not now, Bayushi," Sasuke grunted, pulling the covers over his face, "Go pee on Naruto or something."

He was almost back asleep...

_Tap-tap-tap!_

Sasuke growled. This was going to be a long night.

"Sasuke, are you awake?" someone whispered.

"Bayushi, I already said not- wait, did you just talk?"

The boy sat up quickly, eyes widening, straining to see in the darkness.

Facing him was something long, brown, and furry.

"Ghaa!"

"Shush!" Naruto hissed, holding up a finger to his mouth. In the other hand, he held Puck up in Sasuke's face. The Pokémon looked like he was in pain. "Quiet, people are sleeping."

Sasuke growled. "What is it, Naruto?"

"I think Puck's sick," Naruto whined.

The Furrent convulsed and twisted in his owner's arms.

"We're in a PokéCenter; go take him to the nurse!" Sasuke snapped, wondering how dumb Naruto could get. "Besides, what makes you think he's even sick?"

_**"Bleh!"**_ was Puck's response as he puked all over Sasuke.

**0o0o0**

"_**Ghaa!**_"

"Whothere!" Sakura shouted, jumping up from her bed, fists swinging. She got up so quickly that Bayushi was thrown onto the ground by Sakura's sudden movements, and was hissing his displeasure. The girl ignored him and looked around in the dark.

Even in the poor lighting, she could tell Hinata was thrashing around in her bed.

"Hinata, what's wrong!" she asked, turning on the lights.

Hinata's eyes were clamped tightly shut, her arms wrapped around her, as if she was in pain, and the girl was thrashing back and forth violently, crying out.

"Hinata! Wake up, you're having a nightmare," Sakura cried, grabbing the girl and shaking her back and forth.

She didn't wake up, and continued to wretch around.

"Wake up, WAKE UP!" Sakura screamed. She turned and ran to the door. "Nurse! We need help!"

**0o0o0**

_A little while later..._

"So what's wrong with Puck, Dr. Duran?" Naruto asked quietly.

Puck was now sleeping on the examination table, having been drugged by the doctor after he had suddenly went wild while Dr. Duran was looking at him.

Sasuke sat cross-legged next to Naruto, looking foul and bad-tempered. He had to shower and change clothes after Puck's 'accident', and he was feeling tired and grumpy.

"Well, it seems that Puck is just fine," Duran said, looking at his clipboard. "However, I wouldn't say he's out of the woods _just_ yet."

"Just lay it out strait," Sasuke sighed, "no need to drag it out being polite and all."

Naruto nodded. "I can take the truth, Doc. I'm tough"

"No, really," Duran laughed, "your Furret is going to be fine. No need to be dramatic."

Naruto exhaled; even Sasuke smiled slightly.

"And?" Sasuke asked, tilting his head and crossing his arms.

"After examining Puck, I notice he was showing the symptoms normally associated of a Pokémon injected with a TM. Then I recalled how Mr. Uchiha-" Naruto snickered at Sasuke being referred to so formally "-mentioning how those two Snake Clan Thugs attempted to inject your Pokémon with them. The police had found several missing vials and pills, and even a few TMs were not accounted for," Duran said.

"So you think they injected Puck with a TM?" Naruto asked, "But Sasuke stopped them! Remember?"

"Yes, but he did leave the two with them for some time," Dr. Duran pointed out. "They could have easily injected one or both of them in the meantime. I have a list of everything missing or stolen, but I need to do some more tests to see what exactly they used on him. At least 4 TMs are missing, any number of which could have been stolen or sold."

"B-But what if they did use one on Puck?" Naruto asked, almost ready to cry. "Can't injecting a TM into a Pokémon that can't handle it be fatal?"

"Don't worry," Duran said, "If it was dangerous to begin with, then your Furret would have reacted immediately. In fact, he's going to be fine."

"Really?"

"Of course," the Doctor continued with a smile. "Your Furret didn't react to the TM's injection immediately, so it's safe to assume his body is very compatible with it and didn't reject it from the start, as most Pokémon would. Right now, I'd say he's in the stage where his body is adjusting to the changes. So far, he's doing rather well, and I think he'll be fine."

"How long will this take before Puck's back on his feet?" Sasuke asked.

"I can't give you a set number. I don't know what the TM even was or how his species naturally reacts to it. Even so, I won't pretend I'm an authority on the subject. It could take a little as 8 hours, or as long as a day or two, considering how well he's handled it thus far, but I'd be more inclined to say sooner then later."

"Good," Naruto breathed out.

"Now, why don't you two check up on your friends and then get some sleep?" Dr. Duran suggested referring to Hinata. Sakura's shouts for the nurse drew Naruto's attention, and had he not been busy taking care of Puck, he would have been with them right now.

"But I wanna stay with Puck!" Naruto protested, jumping up.

Duran nodded understandingly. "I know, but you need to understand that I have to run some more tests, and you might be in the way. Besides, don't you want to check on your friend?"

Naruto looked at his Furret doubtfully, feeling torn. He stroked his Pokémon's fur, worry painted across his face.

Sasuke placed his hand on Naruto's shoulder. "Don't be afraid," he said in a steady voice. "The Doctor's going to take good care of him."

"I'll come get you the moment something happens," Duran agreed, smiling.

Naruto looked at the doctor, and then back at Puck. "Promise?"

Dr. Duran smiled. "I promise."

Nodding, Naruto kneeled down and gave Puck a soft kiss on the head before leaving the room. Sasuke could see tears in his eyes.

He moved to follow, but the doctor held the dark-haired boy back. "I think it's only practical to assume that if your friend's Furret was injected, it's possible that your Eevee was, too."

Sasuke nodded, wincing at the thought.

"Has your Eevee exhibited any signs of discomfort or nervousness? Has he been acting differently or maybe showing indications that he's in pain?"

"No," Sasuke admitted, shaking his head, "but he did want to sleep with Sakura, the little traitor -that's normal behavior for him, by the way- so I'll have to ask her she noticed anything."

"Good," Duran said, "however, even so, I want to examine him tonight. Why don't you bring him to me after you finish checking up on your friend?"

Saskue nodded and left. Once in the hallway, he caught up with Naruto. "Hey," he said softly.

Naruto wiped his face before looking at him. "I'm fine," the boy said quickly.

Sasuke sighed. "You can worry about Puck. I understand."

"Why should I be worried?" Naruto asked quickly, voice cracking, "the Doc said Puck's going to be fine, so he's going to be fine. I'm not even thinking about it. Why are you? There's nothing to be worried about. You're such a wimp-" As he talked, the blond started speaking faster and faster, rambling on as he tried to act tough.

"Well, you know," Sasuke interrupted when Naruto paused to breathe in, "Dr. Duran said Bayushi might have been injected too, and I'm worried."

"You are?"

"Yeah," Sasuke said. "Just thinking of something bad happening to my baby makes me wanna tear up and cry..."

In spite of himself, Naruto laughed. "You're such a softy."

"Yeah," his friend replied sarcastically, "I wish I was tough as you."

Naruto felt much better now.

**0o0o0o**

Hinata sat up on the examining table as Nurse Jennifer looked her over. Bayushi was curled up next to the girl, watching with interested eyes. For once, he seemed to realize that now was not the time to be begging for attention. Sitting nearby, Sakura waited silently.

"Well, I can safely say nothing's wrong with you physically," Jennifer said with a smile, setting her stethoscope down. She stifled a yawn. "Save you might be a bit sleep deprived"

"But what about what happened?" Hinata demanded.

"Can't say for sure, considering I'm trained to work with Pokémon, not a people," the nurse admitted freely, "but I'd say you were just having a night terror."

"A night terror?" Hinata asked, "Are you sure?"

Sakura noticed she seemed to know what a night terror was.

"I think so," Jennifer responded. "You're not physically hurt, you were sleeping when it happened, you were very scared, and we couldn't wake you up. That's basically the telltale signs of a night terror."

"Have you ever had one before?" Sakura asked suddenly.

Slowly, Hinata nodded her head. "I used to have them lot when I was real little," she admitted, "Wh-When Mother..." She trailed off, and picked up Bayushi and started petting him.

"I see," the nurse said softly. "Well, that's nothing to be ashamed of. Stress induces night terrors. Anyway, this was probably just a result of all the excitement you went through today. If these attacks continue to happen, all I can suggest is go see a doctor. A _people_ doctor. For now, just get some rest."

"We'll do that, Ma'am," Sakura said, winking and leading Hinata back to their rooms.

Soon after they were alone, Hinata said, "Could you not tell the boys about this?"

Sakura glanced at her friend. "Sure, but something tells me they're gonna want to know what happened. Why don't you want them to know anyway?"

The dark-haired girl sighed, scratching behind Bayushi's ear absentmindedly. "I just don't want them to think I'm delicate or...weak."

Sympathetically, Sakura patted her shoulder. "There's nothing wrong or weak about you, Hinata. But if it makes you more comfortable, I'll keep quiet-"

"HEEEY!" an annoyingly familiar voice called.

Sakura winced as Naruto ran up to them, smiling big and proud.

"So, what happ-?"

"Be quiet!" Sakura hissed, slapping her hand over the idiot's mouth. "It's the middle of the night and Ino and Kiba are still sleeping!"

"Seriously," Sasuke growled, slinking up from behind the blond.

"So, what's wrong with Puck?" Sakura asked, taking her hand away from Naruto.

"Long story," Sasuke said, carefully taking Bayushi back from Hinata, "Naruto will have to tell you. I need to get this guy to the doctor."

"Vee?" Bayushi said, his fur standing on end. He hated check-ups, and ones in the middle of the night were no better!

"Why?" Hinata asked as the Eevee started struggling in his owner's arms.

"Naruto can explain," Sasuke said simply. "-and stay still!" he ordered, tightening his grip on his squirming Pokémon, "Keep it up and I'll put you in your Pokéball!"

That caused Bayushi to settle down.

"Good boy," Sasuke said smugly, turning around and walking back to Dr. Duran's room, Bayushi looking back at them over his shoulder with big eyes.

"Okay," Naruto said, watching them leave. "Anyway, what did the nurse say about you?" he asked, turning to Hinata.

"Uh," the girl muttered, trying to think of something.

"Just a nightmare; nothing important," Sakura said quickly.

"Eh?" Naruto asked, tilting his head. "But you said you couldn't wake her up. That doesn't sound normal. What did the Doc say about that?"

"She was just having a bad nightmare," Sakura insisted. "Sometimes, you have a hard time walking up from one."

"Okay, you're the expert," Naruto said, backing away. "No need to get aggressive. I was just askin'."

"Thank you," Hinata whispered, smiling.

"Also," Naruto added slowly, looking somewhat bashful. "...I'm sorry I wasn't there for you."

Both girls looked confused.

"I mean," he added, not sure how to explain, "I'm really worried about Puck (and I wish I was with him right now), but I was worried about you too, Hinata! And, uh, if Puck wasn't sick, I would have been with you, honest! ...oh, blast it all, I'm not making any sense."

Hinata felt herself turning bright red.

"We get it," Sakura said, smiling and squeezing Hinata's hand to bring her back to her senses.

Naruto smiled, and Hinata silently thanked her.

"Anyway, can you finally tell us what happened to Puck?" Sakura asked, yawning a bit.

Naruto screwed up his eyes a bit. "Hmm, where to start..?"

**0o0o0**

The Next Morning, 6:50...

Groaning, Sasuke rose from his bed stiffly. Stretching up and down, he turned to tell Naruto to get up, but stopped. The blond wasn't in his bed.

For a minute, Sasuke wondered where he could be; then he remembered that Naruto decided to stay with Puck for the night.

Sighing, he got dressed and headed for the doctor's office. He needed to pick up Bayushi anyway, so might as well check in on Naruto while he was at it.

Sasuke went down a hall and rounded the corner, only to nearly bump into Sakura's blond friend..._what was her name again?_ Ah, Sasuke didn't care.

"Oh!" the girl said, falling down on her rump in surprise. "You frightened me." She held out her hand for him to help her up.

_Funny_, Sasuke thought as he pulled the girl up quickly, _I thought I didn't even bump into her; weird._

He tried to pull his hand back, but the blond held onto it for a second.

"So, what are you doing up so early?" Ino asked, smiling big and twirling her finger in her hair.

"Going to get Naruto and Bayushi," Sasuke grunted, walking past her. Much to his chagrin, the girl followed.

"Well, don't you wanna know what I'm doing?" Ino asked sweetly, batting her eyelashes.

"No," Sasuke answered bluntly.

"Well," Ino went on, "I plan on catching a bus that leaves for Teal Town at 7:30."

Sasuke stopped in his tracks and turned towards the blond. "There's a bus?"

Ino smiled devilishly. "Of course there's one. I plan on taking it so I can catch the early bird bus to Winterborn City."

"How...interesting," Sasuke mused, more to himself then Ino.

"You know-" Ino started, going off on something, but Sasuke wasn't really listening to what she was saying.

"Sasuke!" A girl's voice, not belonging to the blond, grabbed the boy's attention. He looked up to see Sakura.

"Sasuke, I thought you said you wanted to have breakfast by-" she started, hands on her hips in a playful way. However, when Sakura spotted Ino, she suddenly turned angry. "What's she doing with you?" Sakura demanded in an accusing voice, pointing.

"None of your business-" Ino began, but she stopped mid-sentence when Sasuke pushed her towards the pink-haired girl.

"We're leaving in 20 minutes," Sasuke said abruptly, walking towards Dr. Duran's office. "You and Hinata pack up. I'll get Naruto. Ino will explain."

And with that, he left the two girls, who started to argue and fight; over what, he did not know (or really care).

**0o0o0**

"!" Naruto squealed, hugging his Furret and jumping up and down with joy. "Thank you, Doc!"

"You're very welcome," Dr. Duran chuckled bashfully. "But truth be told, I did barely anything."

"You saved Puck!" Naruto insisted, looking at him with big eyes like the Doctor was a hero. "You're miracle worker!"

"That's a bit of an exaggeration," the doctor said, holding up his hands for Naruto to stop. "Anyway, on the subject of Puck's new move-"

"New move?" Naruto asked, tilting his head to the side, "watta ya mean?"

"The move he learned from the TM injected into him," Duran explained. "Surely, you must have realized that your Furret would have a new move when this was all over?"

Nartuo blushed. "Uh, not really. Guess you could say I was too worried to really think about it." He smiled and rubbed the back of his head. Then it hit him.

"DUDE, PUCK'S GOT A NEW MOVE!" the boy exclaimed, looking at his Furret gleefully. "That is soooo awesome! What is it?"

"Well you see-" the doc began, but Naruto quickly drowned him out.

"I bet it's a really powerful one!" the blond said, grinning greedily, "what else would a bunch of crooks use on a Pokémon?"

"Well, if I may-"

"Is it Fireblast?" Naruto asked excitedly, eyes hopeful. "I'd _love_ it if it was Fireblast. Or Blizzard. Blizzard would be nice; so would Thunder, now that I think about it."

"If you could just let me-"

"I'd be happy with Flamethrower," Naruto admitted, scratching his chin, "or Icebeam or Thunderbolt. You know, those really awesome attacks that they always use in high power tournaments."

"WILL YOU SHUT IT?" Dr. Duran finally shouted, throwing his clipboard down on the floor and stomping his foot.

Naruto quieted down instantly.

"Uh, well," Duran said, clearing his throat and picking up his clipboard, "where was I? Oh, yes, as I was saying, there is no way to know what move your Furret knows."

"Huh?" Naruto said indignantly, "But, my Pokédex can tell me what moves my Pokémon uses!

"That's right," the Doctor agreed, "the Pokédex can identify any move your Pokémon _**uses**_ or moves it _**should**_ know for it's experience level. But it can't tell you what moves it _**does**_ know."

Naruto looked confused, so Duran decided to just show him. "Look," he said, pulling out his own Pokédex.

Naruto cocked an eyebrow; he could tell the model was far more advanced than his.

"All Pokémon Professors are given a special Pokédex that does a basic scan of a Pokémon's vitals, unusual traits, and other things that would be useful in a medical field. However, every 'dex can do this." The doc pointed the device at Puck and pressed a button.

Coming to life, the Pokédex lit up and hummed for about a minute. Then it chimed in a pleasant, female voice, "Pokémon species: Furret. Age: Late Adolescents. Most probable moves known at current experience rank: Quick Attack, Defense Curl, Furry Swipes."

"See?" Dr. Duran said, stowing his Pokédex back into his coat. "It can only tell you what moves a Pokémon would know at it's level naturally. It can't tell you anything about TMs or taught moves."

"Okay," Naruto said slowly, looking at his Furret. "So...how can I figure out what Puck's new move is?"

"It should be a simple enough matter," Duran explained. "You are headed to Teal Town, right? Don't be surprised that I know," he added, laughing at Naruto's look of shock, "_every_ trainer that comes here is just passing though to Teal Town. Anyway, if you go to the Pokémon Center there, they'll have a device that can tell a trainer every move a Pokémon knows. Every city with a gym or other place trainers go to battle has one. League law requires it."

"Cool!" Naruto smiled. "That will make things way easier! Thanks Doc!"

Suddenly, Sasuke burst into the room without knocking.

"Puck's okay, right?" the dark boy asked, looking the Furret over quickly.

"Yeah, but-" Naruto began, only for Sasuke to cut him off.

"Good. Listen, we're headed out in less then twenty minutes; gonna catch a bus to Teal Town. Go get ready." Sasuke then turned to the Pokémon doctor, ignoring Naruto's questions. "So, I trust Bayushi was okay?"

"Oh yes," Duran said, "perfectly fine. Nurse Jennifer took him to go get breakfast."

"Typical," Sasuke hissed dryly. "Come on Naruto, let's go."

"Just a second," Duran chimed, going over to the examination table. He came back with a needle. "Before you go, I want to give your Furret a vitamin shot. Now, if you could just hold him down-"

However, as soon as Puck saw the needle, he screamed as loud as his little lungs would allow him.

"PUCK! What's wrong with you!" Naruto tried to calm him down, but the Furret just jumped away and made a bee-line for the door.

Sasuke lunged for the beastly. "Get back here, you crazy little-!"

"Wait!" Dr. Duran shouted, but it was too late.

Hissing, Puck whipped around and delivered a rapid secession of slashes to Sasuke's face.

"GHAAAA!" The boy rolled on the floor, clutching his face.

The Pokémon then fled the office, crying freedom.

"PUCK! Get back here right now!" Naruto shouted, scrambling after the little monster.

"What was that?" Sasuke gasped in pain, struggling to his feet.

"That would be a Furry Swipes attack," Duran said. "I tried to warn you. Furrets can be nasty when they're cornered."

"Why'd he flip out in the first place?" Sasuke demanded.

"Well, uh," the doctor explained, "It seems your friend's Furret has a fear of needles. I found out about that last night when I was trying to examine him. Nurse Jennifer had to hold the rascal down. It's probably because of the shot he got from the Snake Clan's TM."

"You couldn't tell us this before you got the Houndoom shot out!" Sasuke shouted, still covering his now bleeding face. "What kind of Doctor are you!"

"...let me get you some ointment for that," Duran said.

**0o0o0**

_7:20, near the bus station..._

"Hurry up!" Sasuke shouted, running to the station, "It's going to leave any second!"

"We'd be going faster if you'd stop shouting!" Naruto screamed back.

The team had to skip breakfast in order to get everything packed, and Naruto had to waste about 5 minutes trying to catch Puck before he realized he could just return the Furret to his Pokéball.

Now, they had less than 10 minutes to buy their tickets and get on the bus!

"Okay," Sasuke said when they finally arrived, "everyone check to make sure they have everything, and I'll get the tickets!"

"You're such a gentleman, Sasuke," Ino whispered flirtatiously at the boy's retreating form.

"Shameless hussy," Sakura hissed, opening her backpack. "Let's see...Food, clothes, medical supplies-"

"OH NO!" Hinata shouted, dropping her bag.

"What is!" Sakura asked, "Did we forget something?"

Hinata nodded. "We forgot to wakeup Kiba!"

_**Meanwhile, back at the PokéCenter...**_

"Zzz...oohh...What time is it?"

Snorting, Kiba suddenly bolted up in his bed.

"Oh no!" the boy shouted, looking at the clock. "I can't believe it!"

His winced, thinking about the huge mistake him made.

"I forgot to feed Akamaru breakfast!" he whined, pulling his hair. Then the wild boy calmed down. "Eh, I'll do it later; it won't kill 'em."

Sighing, Kiba laid down and pulled the covers back over his head.

"I wonder if I can hang out with Hinata and her friends for a little while," he mused, drifting back to sleep. "They seem like a cool bunch. And I can get Naruto back for kicking me in the head. Hehe."

"We have to got back and get him!" Hinata gasped, turning around and starting for the door.

"Hold your Ponytas!" Naruto said, grabbing the girl's arm, "There's no time!"

"We got his Pokénav number, so we can call him later," Sakura pointed out.

"Yeah," Naruto agreed. "Besides, Sasuke doesn't want us getting any more tagalongs. He says it's going to be hard enough catching Pokémon with the four of us."

"You mean five," Ino added pointedly.

"No, he means four," Sakura said darkly. "You're not part of the team."

"Who said you get to decide?" Ino retorted, facing Sakura.

Before the two could actually get to arguing, Sasuke returned, tickets in hand. "Come on, you guys, the bus is leaving!"

**0o0o0**

The team (and Ino), managed to jump on at the last minute, and found their seats.

"Now remember, everyone," the bus-driver said to his passengers, "this is a nonstop bus to Teal Town. I have a timetable, and I want to keep it. There is to be no roughhousing, no shouting, and no other disturbances on this bus; driving this thing is dangerous, and I need to be concentrating on that, not on you. Also, keep your Pokémon either in their balls or, for those of you that let them roam free," he looked directly at Sakura and Sasuke, who were holding Waterlily and Bayushi, respectively, "your Pokémon are to be on your laps at ALL times. Don't put them down on the floor or a seat. If you need to go to the bathroom, have someone else hold them or return them to their Pokéballs. Break any of my rules, and I swear I'll kick you off this bus myself. Understand?"

Aside from some grumbling remarks by Naruto, everything was quiet.

"Good," the driver said. "Now we can get going."

As the bus headed off, Sasuke groaned silently. Hinata and Naruto were sitting in the seats ahead, while he was stuck in-between Ino and Sakura. This was going to be a long, long trip.

"Sasuke," Ino whispered sweetly in his ear, "I was thinking: don't you think it would be nice if I started traveling with you?"

"Buzz of, you Seviper," Sakura snapped, "leave him alone."

"Who asked what you thought?" Ino responded, "I was talking to Sasuke, you big eared snoop."

"My ears are perfect!" Sakura retorted loudly. "And I'll have you know-"

"I thought I said no shouting on the bus!" the driver called from the front, not taking his eyes off the road.

"Nice job, Billboard-brow," Ino whispered nastily.

As the two girls continued to argue, Sasuke sank down in his seat. "You know," he said glumly to Bayushi, "maybe this wasn't such a good idea."

"Vee-eev," the white Pokémon agreed, covering his ears with his paws.

_**30 minutes later...**_

"I spy, with my little eye..." Naruto mused, looking around as the bus drove on, "something...blue."

"Is it the sky?" Hinata suggested.

"Darn, you're good," Naruto grunted. "Okay, your turn."

Sighing, Hinata looked around. They had been playing I-Spy the entire way, and truth be told, she was getting tired of it. "Uh, Naruto, not to be rude, but can we please stop for now?"

The blond boy looked at her with questioning eyes. "Eh? Something wrong?"

Hinata shook her head quickly. "I don't mean it like that, Naruto. I just feel a little lightheaded and don't want to look at the road."

"Oh," Naruto said, nodding, "uh, okay. So...is there anything else you want to do?"

The girl sighed in relief. "Well, I suppose you could tell me what the doctor said about Puck," Hinata suggested. They had been so rushed by Sasuke to get on the bus that Naruto hadn't been able to explained what happened with Puck.

"Hey, your right!" he exclaimed. "You never got to hear the story. Well," he began, launching into his story.

From his seat, Sasuke quietly watched as Naruto and Hinata chatted. Well, more like Naruto talked and waved his arms expressively like an idiot while Hinata listened, smiling.

Sakura and Ino had finally stopped arguing, and Ino had put in some ear plugs and went right to sleep.

Meanwhile, Sakura occupied herself by feeding Waterlily.

Smugly, Sasuke scratched behind Bayushi's ear. Only a few more miles to go and they'd be at Teal Town, were he could earn his first gym badge. Things were going so smoothly, only an act of fate could bring them off course.

"And so," Naruto grinned, concluding his story, "the Doc said he couldn't tell me what Puck's new move is. So I'm gonna take him to the PokéCenter as soon as we get to Teal Town and find out what awesome attack he's got now."

"Uh, Naruto," Hinata said cautiously, "Don't you think that you're being a bit...rash, hoping that Puck learns a strong TM?"

"Whadda ya' mean?" Naruto asked, tilting his head, "Why shouldn't I?"

"Well, uh," Hinata mused, trying to find the best word. "Couldn't it be possible for Puck to have learned something normal? I just don't want you to get your heart set on Puck learning a powerful attack and then be disappointed."

"Oh, don't worry," Naruto replied, "I'll be happy with any technique he learns. In fact," he added, pulling out his Pokédex, "Let's see what TMs a Furret can learn."

The Pokédex dinged and displayed a list, reading it off. "Furret, even compared to other Normal Pokémon, are compatible with a wide variety of TMs and can learn attacks from every Element. Some more notable examples are: Flamethrower, Icebeam, Thunderbolt, Iron Tail, Slash, Hyper Beam, SolarBeam, Shadow Ball-"

As Naruto oohed and awed as the list went on, Hinata started grimacing more and more.

"Look at all the great techniques he can learn," Naruto whispered eagerly.

"N-Naruto," Hinata squeaked nervously, looking at the greedy look on his face almost fearfully, "I don't think you should be excited about this. I mean, r-remember how sick Puck was when the Snake Clan-"

"Ah, that's because they weren't real doctors," Naruto said nonchalantly, waving his hand. "I bet a real Doc would be able to inject a TM harmlessly-"

FLASH!

Without warning, a Pokéball on Naruto's belt burst open in a flash of light, and his Furret was now running around the bus in a panic.

"What that-!"

"AAAAHHHH!"

Though the flash of light from the ball opening caught the bus driver's attention, it was Hinata's scream of fear that caused him to rear off to the side of the road and come to a screeching halt that caused many of the passengers to fly out of their seats. Luckily, no other cars were around, otherwise there would have been a crash.

"What's going on?" the driver shouted, turning around. He saw Naruto crawling around on the floor. chasing after his Pokémon franticly. "Hey!" the bus driver screamed, "I thought I said-!"

Unfortunately, Sakura was one of the passengers ripped out of her seat, along with Waterlily, who responded to the sudden stop as any baby would.

"_**WHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAA!**_"

Soon, the passengers on the bus were panicking and screaming.

"Sakura!" Sasuke shouted above the din, "Shut that thing up!" Bayushi had long sense leaped off his lap in the chaos and was scrambling around the bus madly.

"I'm trying!" Sakura screamed back, cradling her baby carefully.

"PUCK, YOU IDIOT!" Naruto bellowed, crawling in-between a woman's legs after his wild Pokémon.

Hinata was still in her seat, curled up and terrified, her head feeling like it was being split open by an unseen force.

"Alright everyone, calm down!" the bus driver shouted, trying to raise his voice above everyone else's.

However, no one seemed to hear him.

"HEY!" he shouted again, "I said, CALM DOWN!" To emphasize his point, he stomped his foot down-

"EEEEEEVVVVVVEEEEEE!"

-right on Bayushi's tail.

"Ahh!" the driver gasped, jumping back in surprise as the Eevee started biting at his foot in vengeance. He tried kicking the Pokémon away. "Hey, stop tha-"

_"GET AWAY FROM HIM, YOU &^#!"_

The bus driver looked up just in time to see Sasuke's fist flying at his face.

Amazingly, Ino slept though all of this.

_**Much fighting later...**_

"Off the bus!" the black-eyed driver shouted, _literally_ throwing Naruto, Sakura, Hinata, and a very irate Sasuke (and their Pokémon) out of the bus. "OFF! OFF! OFF!"

First Naruto and Puck-

"Oouf!"

-then Sakura and Waterlily-

"Argh!"

-then Hinata (who was still holding her head)-

"Ghaa!"

-and finally, Sasuke and Bayushi, who were both swearing and spitting.

"Rrgg!" Sasuke grunted as he landed on top of the heap. He got up and shook his fist at the bus as it drove away. "Come back here and fight like a man!"

"Vee!" Bayushi hissed, looking mournfully at his poor tail.

"What even happened?" Sakura asked loudly, trying to get Waterlily under control.

"Puck just jumped out of his ball and went bananas!" Naruto explained. "What's the big idea, Puck?"

He turned to scold his Pokémon, but the Furret wasn't standing there anymore.

"Hey, where's Puck?"

The blond looked around and spotted his Pokémon running away.

"Hey, get back here!" he screamed, giving chase.

"Oh, just great," Sasuke growled. "Come on, Bayushi." He and his Pokémon ran after the blond buffoon.

"Come on, Hinata," Sakura said, "let's- Hinata?"

Sakura realized that the girl was clutching her head in pain.

"Wh-What's wrong?"

Grimacing, Hinata looked up. "M-My head..."

"Okay, uh," Sakura said, "just lady down. I'll get you an aspirin."

_**Meanwhile...**_

Puck ran across the hills like a Rapidash.

_How could a Pokémon with such short legs run so fast?_ Sasuke thought in amazement.

"Puck, what are you doing?" Naruto shouted, huffing and puffing as he ran. "There's nothing to be afraid of!"

"Fur-Fur!" the Pokémon hissed back, not slowing down a bit.

"Hey-"

"Enough of this!" Sasuke shouted, taking out a Pokéball. "Akodo, go!"

He tossed the ball so that it landed a few feet ahead of the Furret, and his Shinx appeared in a flash.

Puck found himself screeching to a halt, cut off. "Ret?"

"Leer him into submission," Sasuke ordered.

"Shinx," Akodo complied, eyes glowing red. As Sakura predicted, Akodo's slashed eye healed well, but even with the help of the PokéCenter, it was still scarred. To Puck, however, this made his Leer all the more intimidating.

"Furret," Puck whined, whimpering as Akodo advanced on him.

"Flawless," Sasuke said smugly, turning to Naruto. "Now, just take out his Pokéball and-"

"Whatta ya' doing attacking my Pokémon?" Naruto shouted, grabbing Sasuke by the front of his shirt. "Call him off!"

"Let go, you maniac!" Sasuke hissed.

Seeing his master being threatened, Akodo forgot about the Furret and rushed over to save him.

Which was all Puck needed to make a break for it.

"No, no!" Sasuke shouted, pointing. "He's getting away. Stop him!"

Akodo whipped around and rushed to obey, but Bayushi did, too.

Both Pokémon crashed into Puck at the same time-

-only for the Furret to explode in a puff of smoke, causing the Bayushi and Akodo to hit each other instead!

"Shinx!"

"Vee!"

The two started hissing and growling at each other in their confusion.

"..what just happened?" Naruto asked, dumbfounded. He pulled out his Pokédex.

"Substitute," it chimed. "Using a portion of its energy, a Pokémon creates a semi-real clone of itself and disappears at the same time, moving to a nearby location. This clone can attack and act on it's own, but is notably weaker than the original."

"Substitute?" Naruto said, looking at Sasuke in confusion. "But how did Puck learn that?"

"Probably from the TM, dummy," his friend replied. "And shouldn't you be asking where Puck is now, instead of just standing around-"

"Eevee!" Bayushi cried, wagging his tail tauntingly.

"Shinx!" Akodo responded by biting down on his foot.

"Eevee!"

The two started brawling.

"Hey, knock it off," Sasuke ordered, stepping in-between his two now fighting Pokémon. He pulled Akodo away and started scolding him for biting Bayushi, who was smugly smiling behind his owner's back.

Naruto spotted his Furret trying to slip away.

"Puck, stop it!" he yelled, pulling out his Pokéball.

However, before his trainer could try returning him, Puck stuck out his tongue and ran.

"No ya don't!" Sasuke said, tossing Akodo. "Get him!"

"Shhhinx," the Electric-type hissed, building up a charge as he flew at the Furret.

The Shinx landed on Puck, letting out a Spark attack. But once again, it exploded in a puff of smoke.

"Again?" Naruto said in exasperation.

"This subject seems to exhibit and unusual knack for the Substitute technique," his Pokédex explained.

_**Meanwhile...**_

"There," Sakura said, as Hinata carefully drank from her canteen, "feeling better?"

"Yes," Hinata said slowly, screwing the canteen's lid back on. "My head doesn't hurt at all anymore."

"Really?" the pink-haired girl asked skeptically, "but you just took the medicine. It takes at least 20 minutes to take effect. And you were having a pretty bad migraine."

Hinata nodded her head quickly. "I'm doing fine, really! My head's not bothering me at all. It was stupid of me to even mention it in the first place..." She started fiddling her fingers together.

Sakura narrowed her eyes shrewdly. "Are you telling me this because you don't want me to tell Naruto and Sasuke?"

"No!" the shy girl responded too quickly, putting her hands behind her back. "Really, I feel fine...but there's no reason to mention it to them now , anyway. No need to worry them..."

"A-ha!" Sakura said triumphantly, "So, that's _**is**_ it!"

Hinata waved her hands desperately. "I really feel better! Please, don't make a scene. I'm begging you, Sakura."

Sakura looked down at Waterlily, as if asking for her advice. "Hinata, after last night with the night terror, and now with the crazy headache, I can't just ignore it. You should really take care of this now, before it turns serious."

Hinata looked down, ashamed to be acting this way. Sakura was right. But, she didn't want Sasuke or Naruto to think she was fragile or weak. Especially not Naruto...

Sighing, Sakura looked at her friend. Her face could not be more miserable. "Fine. I'll make you a deal. When we get to Teal Town, you go see a doctor and I'll take the boys out in the meanwhile. If the doc says it's nothing, I'll keep it secret. Okay?"

Hinata smiled softly. "Thank you."

"Now," Sakura said with a grin, "let's go find out what the boys are up to."

_**Meanwhile, what the boys were up to at that exact moment...**_

"Houndoom it, not again!" Sasuke screamed as another Puck vanished in a puff of smoke.

They had nearly caught the rascal 8 times now, and he just used Substitute to get away each time.

It was so frustrating that Bayushi and Akodo had nearly come to blows several times. Luckily, Sasuke had kept the two from killing each other.

"You know," he said bitterly, looking at Naruto, "this would be a lot easier if you would send out Kata."

"No way." Naruto shook his head wildly. "Puck's scared enough as is. In fact, I bet we'd catch him a lot sooner if you'd just call your Pokémon back."

"Don't be a fool," Sasuke snapped grumpily.

The two were about to start fighting again when Akodo cried out, having caught Puck's scent and was now giving chase.

"Good boy!" Sasuke said proudly. He turned to the blond. "Call him back before we lose sight of him!"

As the Furret nimbly dodged each of Naruto's attempts at calling him back into his Pokéball, the two trainers didn't notice Akodo smirking at Bayushi and rubbing next to Sasuke when his master praised him.

"Oh, give me that!" Sasuke shouted, so fed up with Naruto's poor aim that he grabbed the ball and tried returning the Pokémon himself.

This time, Puck actually turned around and started laughing as Sasuke missed.

"Dude, you suck," Naruto smirked.

The black-haired boy rounded angrily at the blond. " Say that again!"

Puck watched as the two started wrestling on the ground, with Bayushi and Akodo hissing on the sidelines.

"Furfurfurfur!" he laughed, not noticing someone coming up from behind.

"And what do we have here?" a girl's voice asked, grabbing him by the scruff and lifting the Furret up.

Puck thrashed about wildly, then after that was unsuccessful, he turned around.

Holding him up was Sakura, who was looking at Puck and then Sasuke and Naruto with something between amusement and disgust.

Behind her, Hinata watched the boys fight timidly. "Sh-shouldn't we do something?"

"I suppose," Sakura sighed.

However, Puck smiled at her mischievously and then closed his eyes and stared concentrating hard.

Sakura raised an eyebrow as the Furret seemed to be trying something, only to quit, panting and sputtering as if he had run a mile.

Rolling her eyes, Sakura cleared her throat loudly. "Are you two done fighting or am I going to have to let this Furret go so you can continue?" she asked calmly when the boys looked up at her.

"How did you catch him?" Sasuke asked in amazement as Sakura walked over to them, Waterlily in one hand and Puck in the other, looking defeated.

"There's no way," Naruto said, scrambling up. "It must be a trick; a Substitute again!"

"Substitute?" Sakura asked. "Is that what he was trying to do earlier?"

"Yeah," Sasuke agreed. "Quick, flick it!"

Before Sakura could stop him, Naruto reached over and flicked Puck on the nose, who responded by biting Naruto's finger.

"Ouch!" he cried, pulling back. "Yep, he's real. But how did you catch him?"

"Because you're an idiot," Sakura said coldly. "If you hadn't been so busy fighting with Sasuke over petty things, you would have realized that Puck was getting too tired to use Substitute (does he really know that move or is Naruto being a dummy again, Sasuke?)"

"Yes, that make's sense," Sasuke said. "And no, Naruto's not making it up. That's Puck's new attack."

"That will be useful," Sakura mused.

"Now, on to business," Naruto said strictly, taking Puck away from Sakura and setting him down angrily. "Why did you go crazy and run away like that?"

Puck looked up at Naruto angrily for a few seconds. Then he looked down, as if ashamed. The little guy's eyes looked watery.

"Puck?" Naruto whimpered, voice cracking. He got down to his Furret's eye level. "Puck, what's wrong?"

"Maybe the aftereffects of the TM made him hurt again?" Sasuke suggested.

"No," Sakura said firmly. "Doctor Duran wouldn't have released him unless the TM's effects were over."

She was about to say more when she noticed Hinata was rubbing her temple.

"Hinata, are you okay?" she whispered, coming in close.

Much to her surprise, the other girl pushed her softly away and took a step forward. "Uh, Naruto? I think I know what's wrong."

"Yes?"

Hinata squeaked when she realized all eyes were on her. But, that didn't stop her.

"I-I don't know why," she began, "but for some reason, I'm sure that Puck heard you from his Pokéball when you were talking about all the TMs you could use. I think that really scared him."

Suddenly, Sasuke slapped his forehead. "Of course! Remember, what Doctor Duran said? Puck's afraid of needles."

"He is?" Naruto asked in astonishment. "Why didn't I know about this?"

Sasuke winced; he forgot to tell Naruto about Puck's newfound phobia in his rush to catch the bus.

However, Naruto was no longer paying any attention to him.

"Oh Puck, I'm SO sorry!" he cried, hugging his poor Pokémon. "I was so excited I didn't even think about your feelings. I'm such a bad trainer."

The two cried and hugged for a few minutes before calming down.

"Do you forgive me?" Naruto asked, eyes puffy.

The Furret looked at him for a few moments before licking a tear of his cheek.

"Oh, come here you!" Naruto laughed, hugging his Pokémon some more.

Sasuke took as much of the lovey-dovey stuff before clapping his hands for attention.

"Okay, now that I'm about ready to puke, let's change subject to something more pressing: What about Teal Town? We still need to get there, remember?"

"What about it?" Sakura asked, pointing behind him.

Sasuke followed her finger and turned around.

There was Teal Town, less then a mile away.

"We were nearly there when the driver kicked us off, remember, dumb-dumb?" Naruto asked smugly.

"Right," Sasuke replied. "Well then, let's get going! Everyone ready?"

He looked around, listing off people.

"Sakura. Waterlily. Hinata. Idiot. Idiot's Pokémon."

"Why you," Naruto growled.

"Hey!" Sasuke said, ignoring Naruto's death threats, "Where's Bayushi and Akodo?"

As if to answer him, the two suddenly rolled right into the middle of the group, kicking and hissing and fighting like there was no tomorrow.

"What's wrong with you two!" Sasuke shouted.


	10. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer**

Let me just start out with the standard Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, Pokémon, or any of the associated or mentioned franchises/companies, and I am not making a profit on this.

**Review Response**:

Sorry this took so long. Hopefully, I'll update quicker in the future. Thank you everyone for your words and ideas.

Pokémon Konoha

Chapter 9

"Man, how long are we gonna have to sit here?!" a boy with messy, black-hair whined loudly, stretching and leaning back.

"As long as it takes," his female companion snapped, glaring at him with contempt, "so shut up and stop your bellyaching or I swear-"

"Enough," the third member of the group said firmly. His face was covered with bandages save for his left eye.

All three of them had been watching the main road into Teal Town from their roost atop a building for two days now, waiting for their mark to arrive. They wore outfits with uniform scarves and pants that had a distinctive snakeskin pattern to them, as well as jackets with an "S" stylized to resemble a snake on the right shoulder. The boy with his face covered, Dosu, had on a heavy poncho-like coat and very long sleeves that made him look bulkier then he really was. The other boy, Zaku, looked like he was going to a rock concert, with his sleeves and pants torn, and a "Bon Jovi" t-shirt on. The girl, Kin, looked much more normal than her male companions, dressed efficiently, save for her long black hair, which nearly touched the ground.

Zaku and Kin glared at one another for a few moments before turning and sitting down on opposite sides of the roof.

"Good," Dosu said, nodding. "Now, let's review okay?"

"Oh, come on!" Kin and Zaku protested, "We've been over this before!"

Ignoring his partners' groans of exasperation, he pulled out a picture of a pink-haired girl. "This girl, Sakura Haruno, is our target," Dosu explained. "According to Snake Clan Intel, she's got a couple of super-rare eggs on her hands. Boss Orochimaru wants them, so we're gonna steal them!"

"And once we do," Zaku added eagerly, "we'll get a promotion!"

"Quiet," Dosu ordered. "Our info says the girl's headed this way with some friends, so when she shows up, all we got to do is grab her; easy as pie." After a pause, the boy's face turned serious. "Remember, the Boss himself gave us this job, and if we mess up, we're out of the Snake Clan. We're the youngest team to be given field work on our own, so we've got a lot of competition from the older members, remember? Once we complete this mission, we'll prove to them all that the Sound Trio's the best!"

"And then we'll finally get the respect we deserve," Kin said excitedly.

"Yeah!" all three cheered, "Go, Sound Trio!"

And then all three's stomachs growled.

"But first, let's have lunch," Zaku said, pulling out a paper bucket of food. "It's 25% off a dozen legs and thighs at Kumo Fried Chicken today, and I got extra crispy!"

"Yeah!"

Wasting no time, the trio set up and started to eat.

Little did they realize that while the three of them were stuffing their faces, no one was doing lookout duty...

**Meanwhile...**

"Oh!" Sakura said, wrapping her arms around herself.

"What is it, Sakura?" Naruto asked, tilting his head.

"You know that feeling you get when someone's watching you?" Sakura explained. "Well, it's kinda like that, only, it's like someone SHOULD have been watching us, and wasn't..."

"Eh, how do you even feel that?" the boy asked, tilting his head.

"Oh, never mind, it was probably nothing" Sakura mused.

"Maybe you're just excited about finally getting to Teal Town?" Hinata suggested. "You'll be getting that special egg from the professor at the Pokémon Academy soon, after all."

"Yeah, I forgot about that!" Sakura grinned, brightening up quickly.

"So, what's the Pokémon in the egg?" Naruto asked, leaning in.

"I thought I told you that Prof. Umino couldn't figure that out," Sakura said in disbelief. "Weren't you paying attention?"

"Of course not!" Naruto responded plainly, "If I paid attention every time you talked, I'd spend the whole day listening and get nothing done!"

"What does that mean!" Sakura hissed, grabbing Naruto by the front of his shirt.

"It means you're a blabber-" Naruto began. Then he stopped mid-sentence. "-wait, did you said 'Prof. Umino?' As in, Iruka Umino?"

"Yes," Sakura said coldly, "as in Iruka Umino. He's the head professor at the Academy. You would have known that if you had been paying attention, you idiot!"

"Alright!" Naruto cheered, jumping out of Sakura's grasp.

"What's with you?" Sakura asked in disbelief.

"Iruka used to teach at Pokémon School in our old town; he was Naruto's favorite teacher" Sasuke explained as Naruto continued dancing. "Then Naruto's dad got him a job as a professor at Teal Town Academy, so he had to move away." Smiling, Sasuke added, "The baby spent the whole school semester crying."

"That's 'cause the new teacher kept hitting my knuckles with a yardstick!" the blond boy protested. "Anyway, let's get to the Academy and say hello!"

"Teal Town Academy also doubles as the city's gym," Sasuke pointed out, "so we can get everything done at once."

However, as the two boys started walking, Sakura held them back. "Hold it! We're not going just yet."

Both boys looked at each other. "We're not?"

Sakura shook her head. "Hinata and I have stuff to do." She glanced at the other girl meaningfully, slightly nodding.

However, Hinata didn't notice. "We do?"

"Yes we do!" Sakura said quickly, rushing over to Hinata's side. "We have to get those 'things' we talked about, remember?"

She put on a forced smile that told Hinata to play along.

"Oh, uh...right, now I remember," the dark-haired girl stammered oddly as Sakura pulled her aside.

"One second," she told the boys, who looked genuinely confused.

"What's going on?" Hinata asked.

"Remember what we talked about earlier?" Sakura responded. "You promised to see a doctor as soon as we got to Teal Town. Well, we're here. I already found a doctor that does checkups for Pokémon Trainers for free." She held out her Pokénav, which showed a map of Teal Town and a list of doctors' offices. One of them was highlighted. "Made the appointment already," the pink-haired girl added as Hinata looked reluctant, "so don't try and slip out of it."

"B-But what about Sasuke and Naruto?" Hinata asked, stealing a glance at them, "You said you'd distract them while I went to the doctor's on my own..."

"Change of plans," Sakura explained, "I decided that I need to make sure you don't try and slip out of going while I'm not looking- -don't pretend that you wouldn't- -as for the boys, we'll just tell them we're going shopping and give them the slip."

As Hinata struggled to think of a retort, Naruto stepped over and butted in. "So, what's going on again?"

"Hinata and I need to go shopping," Sakura said quickly, before Hinata could protest.

"Eh! No way," Naruto whined, crossing his arms, "I'm not gonna waste my time waiting around in a store while you two shop around-"

"You' and Sasuke aren't coming," Sakura pointed out, glaring slightly, "So you can stop whining."

At this, Naruto tilted his head. "Really? What's the big deal? Don't you want our company?"

The pink-haired girl rolled her eyes. _Wasn't he just complaining about coming with them in the first place?_ "We have to get...uh-"

"Girl stuff," Hinata said quickly.

"Yeah, that!" Sakura agreed, nodding. "Uh, really private girl stuff."

"Girl stuff? Why do you need to get that alone-" Naruto started to ask, but much to his surprise, Sasuke's hand clamped over his mouth.

"We understand," he said quickly. "You go do that, and we'll meet up at the PokéCenter in an hour."

He dragged Naruto away before the blond could protest.

"What was that about!/" Naruto finally got to ask when the girls were out of sight.

"You'll learn when you're older," Sasuke grunted, blushing slightly. "Now let's go...and don't bring this up ever again." Then he started muttering something about how he thought Sakura was being very moody, but Naruto decided not to ask.

**Meanwhile...**

"This sucks!" Zaku groaned, leaning over the roof's railing, his binoculars swinging from his neck. "We've been at this for hours. Can't we do this in shifts, so that only one of us has to be on lookout duty?"

"Last time we tried that, we caught you sleeping on the job," Kin pointed out coldly. She dutifully scanned the city for their target. "Besides, how hard can it be to find a pink-haired girl- -oh! Would you look at that!"

"Did you find Haruno?" Dosu cried, turning his telescope (having one eye meant binoculars where all but useless to him) to look where she was looking.

"No, even better!" Kin cried excitedly.

Dosu's telescope caught sight of what his female partner was so happy about: two boys, one bright and fair and the other dark and brooding, where walking down the street. "...you've got to be kidding me."

"Rhar," Kin growled, focusing her binoculars to get a closer look, "They're like yin and yang; a perfect pair. Bright and sweet and troubled but cute; ooh, I want them both."

"Kin, you boy-crazy lunatic," Zaku said, smacking her on the head, causing the girl to drop her binoculars in surprise. "You got us all worked up over-" He had a hard time finishing his sentence as Kin wrapped her fingers around his throat.

"You made me drop my binoculars, you idiot!" she hissed, throttling her poor partner. "How am I supposed to spy on boys now?"

"So that's why you kept checking out the public pool!" Zaku gasped, trying to push the madwoman off him, "You traitor!"

"Idiots," Dosu sighed, ignoring the two. However, not too far away from the boy's Kin went goo-goo over, he spotted something that made his heart leap for joy: two girls, one dark-haired, and the other _**pink**_! "There she is!" the Trio's leader shouted, pointing with joy, "I found her!"

"Where!"

Both Kin and Zaku stopped fighting and started looking at where Dosu pointed, fighting over Zaku's binoculars.

"Oooh, that's her alright!" Zaku cheered, glad they were finally done with lookout duty. "Let's nab her!"

"Wait!" Dosu ordered, still watching the girls. As they entered a building, he growled. "Darn it all, she's with someone to start with, and now the girl's in a building with a bunch of other trainers. We can't nab her in public like this."

"Great," Zaku sighed, leaning back onto the railing. "So, any ideas what to do?"

"Hmm," Kin hummed thoughtfully, homing her goggles in on the Pokémon in the Haruno girl's arms. She smiled maliciously, pulling a Pokéball from her belt. Its top was made of steel and engraved with a musical note. "I think I've got a solution."

**0o0o0**

"Hinata Hyuga, here for the 2:30," Sakura said, talking to the receptionist.

Hinata sat in the waiting room nervously, trying to calm herself down. Really, she had nothing to be afraid of!

"The doctor will see you in a moment," Sakura explained, sitting down and setting Waterlily in a free seat next to her.

Smiling, Sakura took out a magazine called "_The Coordinator Essential_." On the front, it showed a very pretty red-haired woman who's face Hinata vaguely recognized (she wasn't very interested in celebrities), along with a silver Ninetails; a caption underneath the two said something about a special Pokémon Contest being hosted in Winterborn City.

_Hmm, I didn't know Sakura was into Pokémon Coordination_, Hinata thought.

Much to both girl's surprise, Waterlily jumped up and looked around excitedly.

"What-?"

"Zu-zu!" Waterlily said, her ears twitching. The Pokémon smiled, and leapt outside, giggling!

"Waterlily!" Sakura shouted, jumping after her, "Get back here!"

"Sakura-?" Hinata began but was cut off when the receptionist said that the doctor would see her now. Deciding that Sakura would be mad if she skipped her appointment, Hinata nodded and went into the office. After all, Sakura was only going to grab Waterlily and come back inside. What harm could Sakura get herself into?

**Outside, at that moment...**

Sakura looked around, but she couldn't see her baby anywhere!

"Where are you!" Sakura shouted desperately.

"Azuzuzuz!" Waterlily's giggling from above drew Sakura's attention.

There her Azurill was, being held up in the sky by a cute, red and white round-bodied Pokémon with a ribbon-like tail. As the wind blew, the Pokémon chimed like a bell.

"A Chimecho?" Sakura said, pulling out her Pokédex.

It dinged to life. "Chimecho, the Wind Chime Pokémon. Chimecho has a hollow body, inside which its cries can echo, allowing it to create seven different chimes. These notes can be utilized as attacks, causing a range of effects, from pleasant tones that cause relaxation and promote natural healing, to shockwaves of ultrasonic blasts."

As the Chimecho tickled Waterlily with its tail, Sakura laughed.

"Well, looks like you made a friend," she observed, realized that her Azurill's sensitive ears must have heard the Chimecho's cries inside the doctor's office. "So, think you can put her down now, Chimecho?"

"Chi-cho!" Instead of listening, the floating Pokémon laughed and started flying away.

"HEY! Get back here!" Sakura shouted, running after the two.

As the girl chased the two down, a figure not to far off chuckled wickedly.

"Good job, Decibel," Kin whispered into a microphone, "keep leading on."

The girl pulled out her cell-phone and hit the speed-dial. "Zaku, she's headed your way; are you two ready?"

"Change of plans," Zaku responded from his end, "You're going to have to take the girl yourself."

"What?" Kin hissed angrily, "That wasn't part of the plan."

"We're talking care of something ourselves," Zaku retorted. Then he tauntingly added, "Don't tell me you don't think you can take one girl who's just a beginner own your own?"

Swearing loudly, Kin's eyes became dangerous. "Fine, I'll take care of this myself," she shouted, "I don't need you or Dosu anyway!"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," Zaku sighed, "just try not to mess this up." He hung up.

Growling, the girl started after her quarry. "Just you wait, Haruno! When I'm through with you, you'll wish you never even started your journey!"

_**Just a little earlier...**_

Dosu and Zaku waited patiently on a bus stop bench. Kin's Chimecho was going to lead the Haruno girl into an abandoned factory, where no one could possibly save her, and then they'd all gang up and take her out quick. Easy enough, right?

"Man, I'm starving," Zaku sighed, rubbing his growling stomach. He looked around and spotted a hotdog stand. "I'm gonna get me a dog; you want one?"

"We just ate," Dosu pointed out. However, as Zaku got in line, the bandaged boy added, "Make mine with no ketchup."

What could they say? They were growing, teenage boys, after all.

As Zaku stood in line, his eyes widened when he noticed boys in front of him: it was the two Kin was drooling over!

"I still don't see why we can't just go the academy and say hello to Iruka ourselves, Sasuke," the blond said, ordering two hotdogs.

"Because, Naruto," the one called Sasuke explained slowly, "the girls aren't with us right now, and they'd probably take it offensively if we left them behind. As much as you wanna see your old teacher, do you really want to have Sakura mad at you?"

Zaku nearly gagged when he realized the two where friends with the team's target. They were supposed to attack her where no one would be able to save her!

"I don't see why she'd be mad," Naruto said plainly. The two paid for their food and walked a little ways off.

Zaku ordered his food, not paying attention as he tried to continue eavesdropping.

"Believe me, she'd be mad," Sasuke retorted in-between bites, shuttering involuntarily, "This week, she and Hinata are going be mad about _everything_ we do."

"You've been saying that ever since you found out they went shopping for 'girl stuff;' what's with you?" Naruto asked, talking with his mouth full.

The two walked off, and Zaku ran over to Dosu.

"Where's my hotdog-?" Dosu began.

"We got a problem!" Zaku yelped. He pointed at the two boys. "Those two are the Sakura girl's friends."

"Calm down," Dosu ordered, taking a look at the Trio's new foes; offhandedly, he noted that they where the two boys Kin was ogling. "So the Haruno girl has some friends; what's the big deal?"

"How can we ambush her with her boyfriends nearby?" Zaku moaned. "Besides, the blond knows the Professor at the Pokémon Academy; he could be trouble."

Growling, Dosu rubbed his chin. "You have a point there. They could be problematic; not to mention, Haruno could have easily given one or both of the eggs to them."

He looked at the two again, and this time, he noticed that the dark-haired boy was carrying a silver-white Eevee in his arms, feeding it pieces of his hotdog. "Well, well, would you look at that," Dosu said with a grin, "not everyday you see a winter-coat Eevee."

Zaku looked around to get a view of what his partner was talking about. When he did, he whistled. "Doesn't the Boss have a thing for white Pokémon?"

"He does," Dosu responded slyly. "Okay, new plan: You tell Kin to take the Sakura girl alone; as for you and me, we'll challenge those boys on our own; the discretion should let Kin complete her mission. If they have the eggs, we steal them, if not, we can still nab that Eevee for the boss. And, if in the odd case that they beat us, we only challenged them to a friendly match, and no one's the wiser."

"Perfect!" Zaku smiled, pulling out his phone as it rang, "Oh, high Kin. You know, I got something I need to tell you anyway..."

**0o0o0**

"Oh, come on, Sasuke," Naruto whined, "this is boring! If we have to wait for the girls, at least we can do somethin' fun; not just walk around doin' nothing."

"If you have a better idea, I'm all ears," Sasuke said calmly.

"Uh, let me think," Naruto responded, rubbing his chin and acting stupid. "I know!" he suddenly cried dramatically, snapping his fingers, "we can knit sweaters! ...or," the boy added, his voice deadpan serious, "we could do something useful like have a Pokémon battle."

"Your attitude aside, that's not a bad idea," Sasuke agreed. "But we've already battled 4 times; I'm tired of beating you."

"Hey!" Naruto shouted indigently, "I've won plenty of times!"

Before the two could argue, someone from behind them spoke. "Perhaps we could help you there, strangers."

Naruto and Sasuke turned around.

Two boys, one black-haired and the other with his face covered in bandages, stood smiling.

"My name's Dosu," the bandage-faced one said, "and this is Zaku. Not to be rude, but did you say you wanted to have a Pokémon Battle? Because we were looking for someone to battle with ourselves."

"Uh, yeah," the other boy said, nodding his head a bit too eagerly. Dosu elbowed him.

"Cool," Naruto said, smiling. "We accept your challenge! The two of us can take-"

"Hold on there; we want to do two separate battles. No double-teaming" Dosu explained. "Deal?"

"Good," Sasuke agreed, nodding. "I want to test my strength anyway."

"So do I," Dosu whispered quietly, grinning behind his mask. He cleared his throat and spoke loudly. "So, how about I take you-" he pointed to Sasuke, "-and Zaku takes you-" he pointed at Naruto, "-two-on-two each?" he asked pleasantly.

"Awesome!" Naruto cheered, tossing his Pokéball in the air. "Let's go Kata!"

"Suckers," Dosu laughed softly, pulling his ball out. "You have no idea what you're up against..."

**0o0o0**

"So, you're having some nasty migraines?" the doctor asked, smiling brightly at the girl sitting on the examining table.

"I had one," Hinata said insistently, twiddling her fingers, "and a nightterror the night before…"

"Hmm," the doctor mused. "Well, in all likelihood, you're just experiencing the, uh…"

He paused, looking for the right words to use. Meanwhile, Hinata was looking at him questioningly.

"You're, uh, going through," the doctor spoke carefully. "Uh, well, every girl has a time in their life when, uh, they go through a change…and well-"

"I kn-know about puberty," the girl said, blushing and looking down.

"Oh, good," the doctor sighed, wiping his brow. "Last time I tried to explain was 'the change' was to a girl, I got sued by her father."

"But what does that have to do with my headaches?"

"Well, sometimes girls going through the change will get migraines unexpectedly, and as for the nightterrors, those can be a result of the emotional and chemical change your body is going through."

"So," Hinata said slowly, "there's nothing wrong with me?"

"Nope. In fact, you could say that it's all just a sign that you're a healthy, growing girl."

"Can I get that in writing?" Hinata asked quickly, thinking of how Sakura wouldn't believe her.

"Eh?"

**0o0o0**

"I said get back here!"

The Chimecho carried Waterlily off over a chain-linked fence.

"Oh, blast it all!" Sakura shouted. They were now flying into an abandoned building. She looked around, and spotted a gate. Running over, Sakura was surprised to find that it had been left open. However, she didn't waste any time thinking about it, instead running after Waterlily and the Chimecho.

"Where are you?" the pink-haired girl hissed, walking though the ruined building. Sighing, she pulled out a Pokéball. "Jane, help me out."

The Mankey materialized and looked around questioningly.

"A Chimecho took Waterlily, and I need your help getting her back," Sakura explained. "Can you sniff them out?"

"Key?" the Fighting-type scratched her head for a moment before realizing that Sakura was talking about her pig-like nose. "Keykey key Mankey!" she snapped indignantly, shaking her paws angrily.

"Okay, I get it," Sakura said, holding her hands, "you don't like people talking about your nose."

"Key!" Jane growled, crossing her arms.

Before the two could come up with something else to do, a deep, resounding tone rang out.

"What-?"

BOHM

Both Sakura and Jane fell to their knees at the sound of the second tone, which was powerful enough to cause dust to rise up around them.

BOHM

The sound was like a giant bell, causing great vibrations to shake room.

Her ears still ringing, Sakura brought herself up on her hands and knees. Standing before her was a girl with long dark hair, the Chimecho from earlier floating bout gleefully. In the girl's hands, Sakura spotted Waterlily, who was unconscious.

"Hi," the girl grinned cheerfully, "My name's Kin, and I'm here on official Snake Clan business."

"Snake Clan?" Sakura whispered, still confused and disorientated. "What did you do to Waterlily?"

"Don't worry, I just used a tranquilizer on her," Kin said, her smile turning nasty. "Now, it seems that you've got some eggs that don't belong to you," Kin explained, continuing her cheery talk. "So, you can either hand them over quietly and walk away with your little bundle of blue, or, I can have Decibel-" she pointed at her Chimecho "-smash you into the wall and just take them by force. Your choice."

"You're crazy!" Sakura gasped. "I don't know what you're even talking about; now give me back my Azurill!"

The dark-haired girl sighed. "I gave you fair warning." She glanced at her Chimecho. "Confusion."

"Cho!"

The Psychic-type glowed a sinister blue, and Sakura felt herself being lifted into the air. The girl struggled, but it was like unseen chains where binding her, pulling her limbs taut.

"Still not going to talk?" Kin asked, grinning sadistically

"I don't know what you're talking about! Put me down and give me back Waterlily!" Sakura shouted, pulling her arms and legs in vain.

"Have it your way," Kin shrugged. "Decibel, do it."

The Chimecho nodded, her eyes flashing blue.

Sakura felt herself being pulled back for the slam...

"MANKEY!"

Out from behind them, a screaming ball of fur flew at them.

Kin just started to turn around at the sound when a furious kick slammed into her face.

"RRGGH!"

As the girl fell over, Jane wasted no time in flying at Decibel, grabbing onto the Pokémon and slamming her mighty fists into the Chimecho as she tried to stay aloft.

Sakura felt the psychic hold on her dissipate, and she fell to the floor, freed.

"Good job Jane!" she cried, getting up.

"YOU FILTHY LITTLE MONSTER!" Kin staggered up, holding her bruised face. "I'll make you pay for that! Decibel, Astonish that beast off you!"

The Mankey and Chimecho were still struggling in the air; breathing deep, Decibel uttered a horrid series of cries, unleashing a torrent of red sound waves that blasted Jane off of her.

"It'll take more than that!" Sakura shouted confidently.

"You fool!" Kin snapped back. "It's Psychic vs. Fighting! I've already won!"

"We'll just see about that; Jane, attack!"

_**Meanwhile…**_

Zaku looked at the little Pokémon before him; it looked like a blue and black jackal pup standing on two legs.

"Uh, hey Dosu," he whispered, "what is that thing; do I have anything strong against it?"

"Hey! Not cheat-cheats!" Naruto shouted, pointing accusingly.

Zaku looked helplessly at Dosu, who just shrugged.

Sighing, Zaku pulled a Pokéball from his belt. "Whatever; Boombox, I choose you!"

Zaku tossed the ball, and it released a Pokémon that looked like a large Pokéball.

"Torb!" it cried, spinning like a top for a few seconds.

"What's that?" Naruto asked, pulling out his Pokédex.

"You two-faced cheater!" Zaku shouted, pointing a finger accusingly, "You said no cheat-cheats!"

"Shove it," the blond shouted back. "I just wanna figure out what that thing is."

"Voltorb, the ball Pokémon," his Pokédex dinged pleasantly. "Because they first appeared in Pokéball factories, many scientists assume that there is a connection between Voltorb and Pokéball production. Voltorb are well known for storing up large amounts of unstable power, and can explode with little to no provocation."

"A Bomb-type Pokémon?" Naruto asked as he stowed his Pokédex away, confused. "Never heard of that one before. Whatever, Kata and I are still gonna whip your hides!"

"You keep dreaming, you cheating-cheater, you!" Zaku shouted.

Sasuke and Dosu watched as the two hurled insults back and forth for a few seconds before realizing that they had a match of their own to fight.

"Octave, out," the bandage-covered boy said calmly.

A flash of light, and a black and red, violin-shaped cricket-like Pokémon appeared. It rubbed its scythe-like limbs together, playing a short melody.

"Hmm, a Kricketune," Sasuke mused, pulling out his Pokédex.

"Kricketune, the Cricket Pokémon," it chimed. "Kricketune all have slightly different cries, which can convey a spectrum of emotions. Musicians are known to raise Kricketune for their musical talent."

"So, you're using a Bug-type?" Sasuke asked, grabbing a Pokéball and smiling. "I've got just the thing for you. Togashi, you're up."

Sasuke's Charmander appeared, growling playfully at his opponent.

"Darn, I was hoping to test the Eevee's strength," Dosu sighed quietly before clearing his throat and speaking louder. "Very well, begin."

Sasuke wasted no time taking the initiative. "Togashi, end this quickly with Ember!"

"Char-Char!" Togashi grabbed his tail and blew on the flame, shooting out several small fiery darts.

Dosu, however, just chuckled. "Octave, Swords Dance."

The Bug-type lunged forward, spinning horizontally as it did so, deflecting Togashi's Ember attack.

"Mander?"

"Good," Dosu smiled as Octave closed in on the Charmander. "Now, use Fury Cutter."

The Kricketune came out of his spin with his scythe extended and ready. Moving faster than Sasuke thought possible, Octave slashed Togashi across the stomach, using the momentum from his rapid spinning.

"Togashi!" Sasuke shouted as his Pokémon went sprawling.

"Give him another Furry Cutter," Dosu ordered, glancing over at Zaku and Naruto's battle.

"Boombox, keep up the attack!" Zaku ordered. "SonicBoom away!"

"Voltorb!" The Voltorb drew in energy, sparking violently, and unleashed a destructive wave of sound. It ripped forth like a scythe, mowing down everything in its path.

"Kata, look out!" Naruto shouted.

"Riolu," Kata replied, jumping above the blast gracefully. The attack continued on until it hit a trashcan at a restaurant across the street of the alley the boy's had chosen as their battleground.

Before Naruto could shout an apology to the restaurant's owner, the Voltorb sent a second SonicBoom at Kata.

"Rio!" The Fighting Pokémon twisted into the air and evaded the attack, only to be faced with yet another as he landed unbalanced. This time, the attack hit Kata square in the chest.

"Rio!" The Riolu skid back a few feet, winded.

"Try and regain your footing, Kata!" Naruto cheered. "He can't keep this up-"

Only for his Pokémon be hit by a second sound wave.

"Lu!" This time, he was sent to the ground.

"Kata! You need to get up!" Naruto cried desperately.

"Boombox, finish off your prey," Zaku said deviously. This was just too easy.

_**Meanwhile, back at the abandoned factory…**_

"Jane, don't stop moving," Sakura ordered, grimacing desperately. "You can't let that thing's psychic powers grab you!"

"Keep dodging girly!" Kin laughed, "it won't get you anywhere!"

"Chime, chime, chime," Decibel laughed, her Confusion attacks only barely missing the pig-monkey as she dipped and dodged. Her attack wouldn't work unless she could get a good grip on her foe; which was proving very difficult.

"Oh, screw the Mankey!" Kin shouted, losing her patience, "Use Confusion to throw stuff at it!"

"Chimecho," Decibel chimed, eyes glowing. A large, old pipe floated into the air, outlined with blue psychic energy. "Chime-cho!" With a surge, Decibel hurled it at Jane.

"Spilt that pipe with Karate Chop!" Sakura shouted.

Nodding, Jane leapt up at the flying bolder. "Maaaannnnn-key!" Giving a great kiai shout, she struck the pipe at its center.

For a moment, it seemed to do nothing; then, the pipe shattered in two. And Jane was flying right at Decibel!

"Oh no!" Kin gasped.

"Oh yes!" Sakura cried, fist-pumping the air. "Now Jane, finish it with Seismic Toss!"

"Key!" Jane grabbed hold of the Psychic-type, intending on pile-driving Decibel into the floor.

However, at the last second, Decibel's ribbon-like tail whipped around Jane's legs, catching her in a surprise bind.

"Key?"

The Chimecho spun in the air, flinging her foe into the wall with a shout. "Echo!"

"Perfect use of Wrap, Decibel" Kin snickered. "Now finish this with Confusion!"

"Chimecho," her Pokémon whispered, eyes glowing.

Jane's prone form glowed blue slightly, lifting into the air.

With a shout, Hang slammed her into a wall, then into the floor, and into another wall.

"Jane!" Sakura cried, watching helplessly as her Mankey was beaten senseless. She turned to see the Snake Clan girl laughing manically.

"Hahaha! You stupid, trashy little amateur!" Kin cried with sadistic delight. "You really thought you could beat ME! Well, now you're gonna lose everything, and there is no-one who can save-"

"A-zu-rill!" Without warning, a blast of water stuck the girl in the side of the head with such force that she was sent flying into her Chimecho!

Not missing a beat, Sakura ran and caught her now freed Mankey.

"Jane," Sakura whispered, pulling out her Pokéball and returning her, "I'm so sorry."

At the same time, Kin and Decibel got up from the stunning attack.

"Phff! Phff!" she spat, water still in her mouth, "Who dares to-?"

"ZU!" Once again, a blast of water hit her in the face, this time right smack in her open mouth!

Sakura turned to finally see her rescuer; standing up on a piece of rubble, Waterlily glared down the girl who dared to attack _her_ trainer!

"Waterlily!" Sakura screamed, jumping up. She had been so preoccupied fighting Kin, she forgot about her beloved Azurill; shame crept through her as she realized this.

"Who dares-?" Kin dramatically began again, only to get yet another blast of water to the face that knocked her down.

And once again, Kin got up, this time shielding her face. "Stop that!"

"Zu-Zu Azu!" Waterlily declared, jumping down in-between Sakura and her foe.

"You think you can take me?" Kin laughed, "Fine! This time, you won't have the element of surprise-!"

"Zu!" the Azurill interjected, hitting her with a Water Gun again.

"You suck; you know that, right?" Sakura taunted.

"Chimechimechimechime!" Decibel laughed.

Ignoring her traitorous Pokémon, Kin glared at the pesky little Azurill. "OH, SCREW IT, JUST GET HER!"

_**Meanwhile…**_

"Kata! You need to get up!" Naruto cried desperately.

"Boombox, finish off your prey," Zaku said deviously. This was just too easy.

"Torb," Boombox responded, drawing in energy for an extra-powerful SonicBoom. "Vol-TORB!" The Pokémon unleashed a shockwave twice as large as normal!

"Kata!" Naruto shouted, pulling out his Pokéball to call the Riolu back.

However, just then, Kata's eyes opened!

Moving faster than Naruto thought possible, his Riolu spun up into a handstand like a break-dancer and then flipped over the attack, ending up back on his feet.

"Dattebayo!" Naruto cheered, uttering a nonsense cry his mother used sometimes.

"Rio," Kata moaned stiffly, cracking his neck. He looked like he was sore all over, but the glare he was giving Boombox held nothing but the will to win. "Riolu," he uttered softly, taking a fighting stance and motioning for his foe to attack.

"You don't know when you're beat," Zaku hissed in annoyance. He looked at his Voltorb proudly. "One more SonicBoom out to do it!"

"Voltorb." Boombox fired the attack-

-only for Kata to nimbly jump over it.

"…fire again!" Zaku shouted.

"Torb," Boombox complied, shooting another attack, which Kata ducked under.

"Again, and keep attacking," Zaku ordered, starting to sweat.

"Torb-torb-torb-torb-"

No matter how many times Boombox fired, Kata just kept dodging!

"Awesome moves, Kata," Naruto said, grinning freely. "Now, onto the attack."

"Lu," Kata agreed, nodding. He jumped over a SonicBoom and started running at his foe.

"Don't let him get to you!" Zaku warned.

Boombox sent 4 more blasts at Kata.

He jumped over the first, dodged the second, ducked under the third, but was left vulnerable to the last one…

"YES!" Zaku cried, relived that the persistent little Pokémon was going to get it at last.

"Riolu," Kata said calmly, drawing his arm back and then thrusting his paw out at the SonicBoom. Blue aura flashed out of his open palm, dissipating Boombox's attack into naught.

Zaku's mouth hanged open. "What-?"

"-was that?" Naruto finished, taking out his Pokédex.

"Force Palm," it chimed, "an aura-based attack. The user manifests a large amount of life-energy in his palm and unleashes it on a target at melee range; the wave of aura washing over the enemy not only does damage, but can interfere with their chi-flow, causing disabling effects."

"That is soooo cool!" Naruto giggled. He saw the dread on Zaku's face, and couldn't stop himself from gloating. "Looks like you're in trouble!"

"Quick Boombox, use SonicBoom again," Zaku tried desperately.

"Vollllltorb…" his Pokémon replied weakly. He has used too much energy already; he couldn't do another attack.

"Ready to win this, Kata?" Naruto asked, smiling.

"Riolu," Kata answered, once again taking a combat stance, calm and collected with his aura blazing around him.

"All right then, use Force Palm!" his trainer commanded, lashing out his arm.

Kata moved swiftly, dashing forward and leaping up. "Ri-o-lu!" He brought both arms forward as he fell at his target, unleashing a rush of aura-power as he struck home.

"TORB!"

"NOOOO!" Zaku cried, watching as his poor Voltorb convulsed in pain, sparking and flashing weakly.

"Ri," Kata sighed, landing softly, his form without flaw.

**Meanwhile, across the street…**

Professor Iruka Umino hummed pleasantly as he walked down the street. Today was his day off from work, and he planned to enjoy it.

"Ah, hello good sir," a street peddler called, leading a cart of fruits drawn by a Tauros. "Can I interest you in buying some fruit-?"

_**VROOOM!**_

"Whoa!" Iruka gasped as a sonic blast flew right past him. The blast continued onward, hitting the salesman's cart. Several of the fruit were sent flying.

"No, my fruits!" the salesman shouted. He dashed to grab them while Iruka looked towards the alleyway the blast came from.

"Oh great," he growled. Some idiot kids were having a Pokémon battle in the middle of the city, with no concern as to what they were doing.

"Why does this always happen on my day off?" Iruka asked himself, walking over. "Hey, kids, don't you know you're not supposed to battle in public areas?" he called. "Pack this up and move somewhere-"

A second SonicBoom blasted at Iruka, forcing him to dive out of the way.

"For the love of-!"

Yet again, a sonic blast cut him off. This time, it was followed by several more.

"Get down!" Iruka shouted, covering his head.

_**VROOOM! VROOOM! VROOOM!**_

Amazingly, the blasts avoided hitting no one, instead all slamming into the cart of fruit…which, indecently, was torn to shreds.

"MY FRUIT!" the poor salesman cried, falling to his knees. He sobbed softly. "Tauros! Get those kids!" the man shouted, pointing.

However, the bull Pokémon hadn't moved a muscle when the SonicBooms blew up the cart, and now it was more interested in eating the food on the ground.

"Stop that, you traitor!" the fruit salesman screamed, trying to pull his merchandise away from the bull.

Sighing, Iruka got back to his feet. "Those kids are going to be in in _**so**_ much trouble when I get my hands on them…"

_**Meanwhile…**_

"Octave, don't let him get away!" Dosu shouted.

His Kricketune and Sasuke's Charmander were in close-quarters now, and Octave had the clear advantage.

The Kriketune slashed at Togashi, who managed to move back in time. However, he was huffing and puffing, clearly tired.

"Another Fury Cutter," Dosu said, grinning.

"Tune-krike," Octave responded, crossing his scythes and lasting both out. The two attacks hit, scratching each of the Charmander's arms.

"Try another Ember," Sasuke said, shocked. How could his Fire-type be losing to a little bug!

"Char-char!" Togashi whipped around and fired a spray of fiery darts.

"Again?" Dosu laughed, rolling his eyes. "Octave, Swords Dance."

Once again, the Kriketune just spun around and whipped the fire attack away.

"You see?" Dosu asked mockingly, "Fire is useless against him. Using the same attack over and over won't get you anywhere."

Sasuke ground his teeth in anger. "Shut up! I don't need your advice; Togashi, spread a SmokeScreen!"

"Mander," the Pokémon nodded, whipping his tail back and forth as the flame started releasing a thick smoke.

"Don't let him hide in the smoke, Octave," Dosu commanded, waving his arm.

The Bug-type spread his wings and hurtled forward, scythes outspread.

"Scratch him back!" Sasuke responded.

The Charmander raised his claws and growled. With a cry, he clashed with Octave; however, he was sent skidding back while the bug was only lightly scratched.

Dosu started to laugh, but stopped when he saw Sasuke smiling; then it hit him: Octave's attack had caused Togashi to slide into the smoke, unseen.

"Think you're so smart?" Dosu growled. "Think again; Swords Dance the smoke away!"

The Kriketune nodded, spinning around as fast as he could. A wind was whipped up, blowing the obscuring smoke away.

Much to Dosu's shock, Togashi was waiting, holding his tail up to use an Ember attack.

"Fire!" Sasuke shouted.

"Swords Dance again!" Dosu shouted, panicking.

Togashi was fast, but Octave was faster.

Once again, he spun around, scythes outstretched, blowing Togashi's fire away.

"Hahaha! Nice try," Dosu said confidently, "but I win. Octave, use the strongest Fury Cutter you have!"

"Krik-e-tune," the Bug-type groaned oddly, teetering slightly. He raised a claw, and lunged.

However, the attack didn't even come close!

"What?" Dosu gasped.

Now, it was Sasuke's turn to laugh. "You made your Kriketune spin around so much so quickly that he's dizzy. Togashi, Bite!"

Growling viciously, the Charmander leapt onto his foe, chomping down on Octave's shell.

"Fight him off!" Dosu commanded. Octave slashed with his scythes, but at this range, attacking with them was awkward.

"Don't let up!" Sasuke ordered, grinning wickedly, "Scratch! Bite! Heck, hit him with your tail!

Togashi lashed out with all his limbs, attacking with feral fury. The two Pokémon wrestled, Togashi clearly the one with the advantage.

Suddenly, the Fire-type got a lucky hit in, striking Octave in the eye with his burning tail.

Screeching in pain, the Kriketune ripped away from the Charmander, flying blindly.

"Octave, return!" Dosu said, pulling out his Pokéball and recalling the Pokémon.

"Well done, Togashi," Sasuke grinned smugly.

"Good job," Dosu said, bowing slightly, "I didn't think you'd be able to beat my Octave." He pulled out a second Pokéball. This one, like his last, had a steel top with a note carved in it. "Let's see how you do against Baritone…"

"Hey! What's going on?!"

Dosu, Zaku, Sasuke, and Naruto all jumped at the unexpected adult voice. They all turned to face the speaker.

A man in a clean-cut outfit with a ponytail and scar across his face stood facing him, arms crossed.

"You're not supposed to be battling in a place like this!" the man said sternly. "Do you have any idea what kind of damage you caused…" The man trailed off when he spotted Naruto. "Naruto? Is that you?"

"Prof. Iruka!" Naruto cried, jumping up and down. "You're here!" The boy ran up and hugged the man. Sasuke just smiled.

Meanwhile, Dosu and Zaku had the exact opposite reaction. "What's _he_ doing here?" Dosu hissed, glancing at his companion.

"I told you they were friends with him!" Zaku responded in a panic.

"Naruto, I'm glad to see you too, but that doesn't excuse all the damages you've caused!" Iruka explained, motioning to the desolated fruit cart, where the salesman was crying over his now ruined stock while his Tauros just ate it indifferently.

"Ohh," the blond boy gasped bashfully. "Well, uh…his Pokémon did that!" Naruto pointed an accusing finger at Zaku.

"You gutless tattletale!" the other boy shouted, grabbing his Voltorb protectively.

"Hmm, those were SonicBooms," Iruka mused, scratching his chin. "Young man, I think you'll need to come with me so we can sort this out."

"We'd be happy too," Dosu said smoothly. "Can we just-"

Zaku's panicked shout cut his friend off. "You'll never take us alive!" he proclaimed, raising his Voltorb high up.

"Torb!" Boombox blurted out, eyes widening.

"Wait!" Dosu cried, lunging, "DON'T DO THAT!"

"NINJA VANISH!" Zaku said, slamming Boombox into the ground.

_**BOOM!**_

The explosion blasted Naruto, Sasuke and Iruka clear off their feet.

"You imbecile!" Dosu screamed as the two were sent flying off. Before losing consciousness, Naruto wondered if the two would survive the fall.

Kin quickly made the first move. "Decibel, seize that baby Pokémon with your psychic powers," she said, grinning. Her Pokémon's eyes started to glow.

"Waterlily, fire a Water Gun, fast!" Sakura ordered.

The Azurill launched a short, quick blast that hit the Chimecho, disrupting its concentration.

"Now Slam it!" Sakura cheered, marveling at her baby Pokémon's strength.

"Azu," Waterlily nodded, jumping up and down on her tail, building up power. "Zu-zu-zu-" with one final heave, she flew into the air after her enemy, "-RILL!"

Swinging in the air, Sakura's Water-type whipped her tail around horizontally, slamming it into Decibel with such force that the Wind Chime Pokémon slammed into a wall and slid to the ground with a groan.

"Agr!" the Snake Clan girl hissed, glaring at her Pokémon's prone form, "get up; she's only a baby!"

"You disgust me!" Sakura spat, feeling a sorry for the Chimecho. Then she remembered what the Pokémon did to her Mankey just a few minutes ago, and the feeling was squashed.

"GET UP!" Kin shouted, stomping her foot. "Do you have any idea what will happen if we fail this mission?"

Flinching, Decibel shot into the air, looking too battered to do much good now.

"Fine, make you're Pokémon fight even when they can't go on," Sakura said, contempt obvious in her voice. "That won't make them any stronger, and I won't let up. Even if I feel sorry for them, I won't let you hurt my team!"

"A-Zu!" Waterlily cheered, punctuating her trainer's words with a powerful Water Gun attack.

However, Decibel moved much faster than both Waterlily and Sakura expected, diving a few feet down and avoiding the attack. Acting quickly, the Psychic-type breathed in deeply and screeched out an Astonish attack, unleashing a swift burst of red sound waves. Waterlily's poor ears were doubly sensitive to the sonic assault, causing her to roll on the ground and wince in pain.

"Good thinking Decibel," Kin laughed. "Now, grab her with Confusion."

"No!" Sakura shouted, once again seeing one of her team being lifted up into the air. "Waterlily!"

"WAHAHAHA!" Kin cackled, holding a hand to her mouth and posing dramatically (her mother had paid good money to put her through theater in school, after all). "What was that you said about not letting me hurt your team?" she asked tauntingly, watching the Azurill squirm in mid-air. "Weaklings like you shouldn't even go on Journeys, let alone take on trainers of my caliber!" Oh look! The poor _baby's_ eyes are tearing up and so are her trainer's! They're both gonna start crying; oh, Kin loved her job! "You should have stayed at home and-"

"_**WHHAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"**_

The little _baby _Pokémon really did start crying…unleashing a blast of power Kin did not see coming.

"WHAT THE-!"

"WHAAA-WHAAA!" Waterlily bawled, crying her eyes out as her powerful lungs unleashed a torrent of sound that broke Decibel's concentration.

The psychic-type dropped her, and Sakura moved quickly, catching her poor baby.

"Good job," Sakura said in a whisper that was inaudible over the din.

"OH YEAH? Well, this is nothing!" Kin shouted proudly, looking at her Chimecho. "Show these two a _**real**_ Uproar!"

"Chime," Decibel moaned obediently, breathing in deeply. She body started to glow a sinister pink-

_**CRASH!**_

Without warning, the ceiling above Kin suddenly caved in, brining plaster, wood, concrete down right on top of her! Miraculously, Decibel wasn't hit by any of it.

"Cho?" she squeaked, powering her attack down and floating down to her half-buried trainer. "Cho?" she squeaked again, poking her face to see if she was still alive.

"I'm Henry the eighth," Kin sang softly, eyes looking in opposite directions.

"Whhhaa-zu?" The crash was so surprising that Waterlily was too shocked to keep on screaming.

"YEAH!" Sakura cheered, pumping her arm. "Let's hear it for Karma!" She looked over, and realized that the reason the ceiling had caved in was because two boys had crashed through it, and were now atop the Snake Clan Girl.

"Zaku," one of them said weakly, "I'd kill you if we weren't near dead…" He had bandages all around his face.

"Don't worry, Daddy," the other one said, spaced out, "Clefairy love sodapop on toast…" Obviously, he had landed on his head.

"Don't worry, you two!" Sakura called, pulling out her Pokénav, "I'm certified in first aid and I'm gonna call for an ambulance. Just let me call the police so they can arrest this crook first."

"Hey look!" Zaku said, pointing at Sakura with his one uninjured arm. "It's the Haruno girl the Boss wants us to mug. What she doin' here?"

"-what do you mean by that?" Sakura asked glaring. Then she noticed that they were both wearing a snake-like scarf, just like the Kin girl.

"You're all part of the Snake Clan!" Sakura shouted in realization. She kicked one of the boys out of reflex and jumped away. "I'm calling the cops on ALL of you!"

"Not so fast!" Kin said, her speech slurred as she sat up. "We're still battling and my Decibel's gonna-"

BONK!

A Voltorb fell from the hole in the ceiling onto Kin's head, knocking her out cold.

"…you _**so**_ deserved that" Sakura sighed, dialing on her phone. "Hello, police? Yeah, I need your help."

_**A little while later…**_

"Thank you for your help, young lady," the police officer said, writing down the last bit of detail down on her report. Sitting across from her were Sakura, Naruto, and Sasuke. "Now, all I have to do is fill out a few more things…"

After the police arrived at the factory, it didn't take them long to piece Sakura's attack together with the semi-illegal battles Naruto and Sasuke had. After hearing their stories and asking their questions (Iruka was talking to another officer in the other room), everything seemed to be in order.

"Well, it seems you've all had a rough day," the officer concluded with a smile, looking up, "and I'm glad to say we're almost done."

"Now what?" Naruto asked, leaning forward. "Are we gonna get a reward for helping catch a team of Snake Clan members? Or a medal? Or maybe the Key to the City?" he asked hopefully.

"More like, determine your punishment for having Pokémon battles in the middle of the street and causing untold public property damage, including the malicious destruction of a fruit cart," the officer replied, the sweet tone of her voice not changing.

"Da-what?" Naruto gasped, falling back in his chair. "B-But we helped catch the bad guys!"

"Yeah, throw us a bone," Sasuke protested, glaring slightly. Did no good deed go unpunished?

"Okay, good point; maybe I'll be lenient and just call your parents and tell them," the officer suggested, reaching for the phone.

"Why don't you just shoot me?" Sasuke hissed coldly, crossing his arms. "My Dad will when he hears this!"

"Oh come on, you're being way to dramatic kid," the cop said, laughing slightly. "I'm sure your parents will be-"

"You don't know them," Naruto cut in, "his dad's a career cop. He once whipped our hides from dawn till dusk for pulling a harmless prank! And I'm not even his kid!" What Naruto failed to mention was that the 'harmless prank' involved herding a pack of Stunkys into a dinner party, or that Naruto's Granny Tsunade was punishing him right there alongside Sasuke's dad (Naruto's mother was too busy laughing on the floor to save him, and his father couldn't stand up to the old woman to save his life).

"Oh, stop complaining," Sakura said, irritated. She had the feeling she forgot something important, and couldn't think with Naruto's blabbering.

"Don't think you're getting out of this," the officer warned, "after all, you were trespassing when you went into that building."

Sakura's mouth dropped open. "But I was chasing after my Azurill!"

"Oh, stop complaining," Naruto said in a girly voice, mimicking Sakura and sticking out his tongue. "HA! Now who's laughing?"

"We're still gonna be punished, nimrod," Sasuke hissed.

"Oh…that sucks."

"Okay you three, calm down," the policewoman said. "Now, if you just let me think for a moment-"

A knock at the door interrupted her. Sighing, the officer got up and answered it.

"Hi," Prof. Iruka said softly, "Uh, can I talk to you for a moment?"

"Oh, sure," the woman replied, stepping outside. A few seconds later, she walked back in with him, smiling slightly. "Okay, it seems that Prof. Umino has agreed to pay for the damages done himself, and has vouched for you personally. As such, we've decided to drop the charges against you."

Naruto hooted and jumped up, hugging Iruka, while Sasuke grumbled something about how they shouldn't have been in trouble in the first place.

"That's all great," Sakura mused, biting on her finger, "but why do I think I forgot about something important?"

_**Meanwhile, at the Pokécenter…**_

"Guys?" Hinata squeaked softly, looking around as she stood all alone, seemingly abandoned. "Where is everyone?" she asked, near tears.


	11. Chapter 10, Part 1

**Disclaimer**

Let me just start out with the standard Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, Pokémon, or any of the associated or mentioned franchises/companies, and I am not making a profit on this.

The image I am using was made by BlissfulGold on , and I am using it with their permission. Please check out they DeviantART page sometime.

0o0

**Review Response**

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**Amaterasuice**: Thank you for your review, and I am glad you liked my last chapter so much. I hope you like this one just as much

**Soulofdragon1**: Thanks for the pointer. I need to fix that.

**Istarr111**: Good to have a new reader, and I hope to hear more from you.

**The Daughter of Deaths**: Long reviews fill me with happiness

Kiba and Ino needed to be dumped. They're not main characters.

I like your Pokémon suggestions, and will try to use a few.

**Wolfey141**: New readers are always welcome. Nice to see meet you, and I am glad you are enjoying my story.

**Outcast001**: Welcome, and I hope you continue to enjoy my work. I am trying as hard as I can to give all the Pokémon very distinctive personalities. Your ideas for a vulpix and pidgy are intreging.

Thank you everyone for all your support! Now, on to the chapter!

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Pokémon Konoha

Chapter 10

"Poor Hinata," Naruto sighed, sitting down in his bed. "I feel really bad about today."

The boys were in their room in the Pokémon Center. They had come back late in the evening, after they worked everything out with the police and talked with Prof. Iruka. Naruto had wanted to go and challenge the City's Gym Leader, but Iruka managed to convince him that he should get some rest and prepare first. After arriving at the center, they found poor Hinata alone and near tears, thinking she had been abandoned.

Across from him, Sasuke nodded. "We're just lucky she's so timid. Had we done that to Sakura, we'd never be hearing the end of it."

Naruto shrugged. "Yeah, Hinata's being pretty sweet about it. That's nice of her."

"You know, I bet it would mean a lot to her if you told her that," Sasuke pointed out.

The other boy looked at his friend. "Eh? Why? You think she's secretly mad at us?"

"Never mind," his friend growled in frustration. _What did Hinata see in him?_ "Let's just change into our PJs and-"

RING-RING-RING!

"Gha!" Shocked, Naruto jumped up in the air and looked around for the source of the ringing. Then he realized that it was coming from his jacket pocket. He reached in and pulled out his Pokénav.

"Who is it?" Sasuke asked, leaning over as Naruto answered the phone.

Much to both boys' surprise, Naruto's mother appeared on the screen.

"Hey, baby!" she said happily, smiling big. Then she spotted Sasuke. "Oh hi, Sasuke!"

"Uh, hi Mom, eh," Naruto responded uneasily. Suddenly, he was glad Hinata and Sakura were sleeping in the other room.

"Hi, Aunty," Sasuke butted in cheerfully, smiling.

"So good to see the two of you," Kushina said. "So nice to see that you're safe and sound, that nothing bad happened to you. Of course," she added, her smile suddenly loosing all cheer and becoming dangerous, "I already knew that, seeing as how you've been calling home _**every**_ day like I asked you to. Isn't that _right_, Naruto?"

Something cold and heavy dropped down Naruto's stomach as he realized he hadn't called once since he left. The icy chill of dread going down the blond boy's soul spread to Sasuke as the realization dawned on him as well. "W-Well...uh..."

"Oh, that's right," his mother said coldly, "YOU HAVEN'T CALLED ONCE!"

The two boy's jumped back at her roar, which still held it's full power even over video-phone.

"You've been gone for more than a week, and you don't even have the decency to try and call your own Mother!" she ranted on dramatically. "Do you have _**any**_ idea of how worried I've been!

"AND don't try and sneak away, Sasuke," Kushina hissed as Sasuke tried to slowly make his way to the door. "I see you trying to make a break for it! Don't think you're any better than Naruto. Why, you're poor Mother is all alone at home, waiting by the phone, hoping her _**one**_ good son would care to remember her!"

"We're sorry, Mama!" Naruto squeaked, getting on his hands and knees.

"Yeah we are!" Sasuke begged, following suit.

0o0o0

_**Meanwhile...**_

0o0o0o

"I'm really sorry, Hinata," Sakura said for the umpteenth time, "I should have thought about you-"

"Don't worry about it, Sakura," the other girl said softly, patting her back, "you had to chaise after Waterlily, and then you were attacked by the Snake Clan. That's far more important-"

"-then a friend?" Sakura asked. She looked at Hinata seriously. "No, no it's not. Even with everything that happened, you're still my friend, and you're just as important as any of my Pokémon. Don't go short selling yourself; you're more valuable than you think."

Touched, Hinata nodded and smiled. "Th-Thank you..."

"It's just the truth," Sakura reassured her, patting her on the back. "Now, can you tell me what the Doctor say about your headaches?"

Hinata took a step back. "Oh...uh, he said it was just some of the effects of puberty."

"Really?" the other girl asked, somewhat skeptical.

"I have a note signed by him!" Hinata protested, pulling it out.

Sakura took it and read it quickly. Sighing, she had to admit that it did make sense overall. Still, something felt...off.

"Okay, you win," the pink-haired girl agreed, shrugging. "Just tell me if you have any more of those headaches or anything like that, okay?"

Hinata smiled, nodding.

"Now, let's talk about another problem we have," Sakura said.

"Eh?" Hinata responded, a bit confused.

0o0o0

_**Back in the boys' room...**_

0o0o0

"-18 hours of agonizing labor after a 10 month pregnancy, pushing you out into the world and give you life, and this is the thanks I get!" Kushina ranted on, coming to near hysteria.

"-okay, Honey, let me talk to the boys for a few minutes," someone out-of-view cut in. Naruto's father pulled his wife away, smiling hesitantly. "Why don't you go think of all the pranks our son pulled so you can guilt-trip him with that?" he suggested, his voice borderline sarcastic.

Kushina growled aggressively, but backed away.

Minato turned, looking at the two boys. "Hey, I was going to warn you that your mother was kind of upset with you, but she sort of called you before I could."

"He-he-he," Naruto laughed slowly, getting up off his hands and knees, but still recovering.

"So, how's your journey been so far?" Minato asked brightly.

"Great Dad," Naruto said, much more cheery. "I've already caught a Pokémon, and he's a strong one!"

The boy pulled out a Pokéball and called out his Furret. The Pokémon looked around a bit, before noticing the Pokénav's shiny screen and pretty buttons. Squealing with delight, Puck ran over and started pawing the device.

"Hey, stop that!" Naruto ordered, holding it high; this only caused his Pokémon to start crawling up his arm. "Down, Puck, down!"

Rolling his eyes, Sasuke grabbed the Furret and pulled him away.

"A friendly little fellow, isn't he?" Minato laughed. Next to him, Kushina had reappeared, visibly calmer.

"Yeah, he's pretty awesome, even if he is a handful," Naruto admitted. "Plus, he's got this real wicked new attack!

"Oh, really?" his mother asked, raising an eyebrow, "What's is it?"

The boy turned to Puck. "Substitute, Puck!"

The Furret closed his eyes and concentrated.

Poof!

A second Puck stood by the first, sniffing around.

"Amazing!" Naruto's mother cried. "How did you catch a Pokémon with an attack like that?"

"Uh, well, you see, Puck didn't know that when I caught him," Naruto admitted as the clone exploded into smoke.

"Huh?"

Breathing in, Naruto started to recount the team's misadventures in the past few days.

0o0o0

_**Back to the girls...**_

0o0o0

"The Snake clan is after us!" Sakura said, gripping her fist tight, "Or at least after me, but anyway, I told you what that Snake chick said! She was ordered to steal the Pokémon egg Prof. Iruka's going to give me. That mean's that someone high up in that crime syndicate wants it! That means we're going to be in constant danger until we figure out what to do. And as you saw today," Sakura pointed out, "we're not really ready to face them. Iruka was the one who drove the two boys off, and the girl was crushed under them. Do you see what I'm getting at?"

"Eggs," Hinata mused thoughtfully, biting down on her knuckle.

"Yeah, that's what their after; the Pokémon egg Iruka is going to give me," Sakura growled impatiently. Didn't she just mention that?

"No, you don't understand," Hinata said, shaking her head. "You told me the girl said you had _some eggs_ she wanted. Not _an_ egg. She was under the impression you had more than one," Hinata pointed out.

Amazement hit Sakura at her friend's observation. "You're right! Brilliant work, Hinata! And now that I think about it, they clearly didn't know that Prof. Iruka's going to be the one to give them to me," she added. "They thought I'd have them by the time I got into town."

"But what does this all mean?" Hinata asked.

"I bet the three are either posers who heard about the rare eggs somehow and are just pretending to be Snake Clan to sound like their serious thugs, or they really are Snake Clan and their boss is just being a jerk and not telling them everything...or their just idiots. My guess is a combination of the first and last options."

The pale-eyed girl chucked softly.

"But that still doesn't change a thing," Sakura said, her resolve unwavering. "Whether or not they're Snake Clan, the fact is we're going to be trouble for a while. And I have no intention of running home and crying for Tsunade to save me. She trusted me enough to let me go on this journey, and entrusted the care of that rare egg to me. I'm not going to be weak and let her down." The girl crossed her arms and nodded confidently. "How about you? After hearing all this, do you want to just call it quits and go home?"

Part of Hinata really wanted to say yes. She wasn't even sure why she was on a Pokémon journey to begin with, other than her father expecting it of her. She wasn't brave, confident, or a dreamer like Sasuke, Sakura, or Naruto. But, Hinata admitted, she was really happy now that she was on it, that she had met Naruto and his friends, that she _had_ friends now. She couldn't go back home, to abandon them and meet her father's disappointment. "I...I'm not sure what I want to do," she admitted slowly, "but, I do know that I don't want to run."

"Good!" her friend cheered, clapping her on the back.

"Azu!" Waterlily chorused, jumping up and down.

"Now, back to what I was saying," Sakura explained. "Since we're not going to run away, the Snake Clan is going to give us trouble. We need to toughen up if we wanna face them. We're not going to depend on Sasuke and Naruto and be damsels in distress, right?"

Hinata nodded. Though she did want to stand on her own, she blushed at the thought of being a princess locked away in a tower with Naruto riding up on a Ponyta in shining armor to rescue her.

"So here's my plan," the pink-haired girl said, pulling Hinata in close and speaking in a hushed voice. Inwardly, Hinata wondered why, seeing as no one was around to hear them.

"Tomorrow morning," Sakura began, "you and I are going to wake up early and head off to do some special training."

At Hinata's questioning look, Sakura explained. "We're going to face the Teal Town Gym, and win ourselves a badge."

"Why?" the dark-haired girl asked.

Sakura rolled her eyes. "Why not? Badges are symbols of prestige, and show a trainer's strength. More importantly, fighting Pokémon Gyms really helps a trainer get stronger. Besides, who says we won't take on the Pokémon League one day? I just might; be nice to see a female Champion again."

Hinata nodded her head, seeing Sakura's point.

"Also," she added slyly, "it will be a great way to show Sasuke and Naruto that we're not just a bunch of pretty baggage." Hinata had the distinct impression Sakura was taking about how she thought Sasuke viewed her, rather than Naruto's view of either of them. "Imagine the looks on their faces if we win our first badges before they do!"

"Oh, that sounds like a terrible thing to do," Hinata cried.

"Why?" Sakura asked bluntly. "We win them first, we win them first; it's not our fault we did it faster than the two of them, and if they let that get to them, then they're just being stupid and hyper-macho. In which case, a little humiliation would do them some good."

"Zu-zu!" Waterlily agreed, sticking out her tongue

Sighing, the Hyuga girl thought it over for a few seconds. Then, she slowly nodded. "Okay, I'm in."

"I knew you'd understand," Sakura said, smiling. "Now, here's what we're going to do: we're going to go to bed early, so we can wake up early and sneak out before Naruto or Sasuke. Don't worry-" she added as the other girl opened her mouth "-we'll leave a note for them. Anyway, we're going to train together at a Battle Park and improve our skills at double battles."

"Double battles?" Hinata asked, perplexed. "Why those?"

"It's what the Teal Town Gym Leader tests trainers on," Sakura explained. "I remember hearing Tsunade saying that he always fought beginners in double battles to help teach them the importance of teamwork."

"But I only have one Pokémon that can battle," Hinata pointed out sadly. "Waltz is a cocoon now and can't move…"

"No worries!" Sakura insisted. "We'll fight together."

"Sakura, are you sure we should be fighting for our first badge together? Doesn't that seem like...we're not earning it?"

"Don't be silly," Sakura insisted. "If the Gym Leader says we can do it that way, then why not? Two trainers learning how to fight together is more difficult than a single trainer learning to fight with two Pokémon out at once, after all."

"I guess you're right..." Hinata admitted, shrugging. "So, who is the leader and what's his type specialization?"

The other girl laughed a bit. "No idea who he is. Normally, my Pokénav could tell us, but that feature's been disabled."

To illustrate her point, she pulled out the device and looked up Teal Town. A map of the city appeared, and Sakura tried to look up the gym. However, instead of displaying any information, the message, 'Accuses Denied: the Gym Details feature of this Pokénav have been turned off,' appeared across the screen.

"It's that way for any other city as well," Sakura went on, tucking her nav away. "I think Prof. Tsunade had it disabled. You know, so I'd have to us my wits and abilities to win gym matches rather than just planning to catch Pokémon that are naturally stronger. Besides, this makes it more like what our parents had to go though, right? Hard work produces the best results, after all."

"I see," Hinata mused, "I wonder if Naruto's Pokénav is set the same way?"

"Probably," Sakura shrugged. "We could probably just ask about the gym from the locals, but I'm going to honor Tsunade's wishes. Besides, this is _way_ more fun."

Nervously, Hinata laughed in agreement.

"Okay then, it's settled!" Sakura cheered. "We're gonna earn ourselves a badge!"

0o0o0

_**Back to the boys...**_

0o0o0

"-and that's it," Naruto concluded.

"Sounds like you've had quiet the adventure already," his father said, surprising calm.

"Sounds like our first date," his mother joked.

Minato glanced at his wife who gave him a particular look. "Uh, will you excuse us for a sec?" The two moved out of the screen's view.

"What's up with them?" Naruto asked, looking over at Sasuke.

"Their probably debating on whether or not we should continue on our journey," Sasuke said, his voice almost bitter.

"Eh?"

"We're twelve-year-old kids that have been attacked by the Snake Clan twice in as many days," Sasuke pointed out. "Most parents would refuse to let their kids continue on if they thought a criminal organization was after them. Could you blame them?"

"No way!" Naruto growled. "We just started! I haven't even gotten my first badge, man. No way I'm going to come running home with my tail between my legs just 'cause some freaks think they can mess with me!"

"Why do you think we'd make you do that?" The boy's parents had reappeared during his rant.

"Ghha!" Naruto whipped around quickly and tried to smile nervously.

"What? Just because you bump into some bad people you think we're going to make you come back home? The same thing happened to us on our own journeys you know," Kushina pointed out. "Do you really think we'd want to baby you?"

Her husband started to open his mouth, but Kushina elbowed him to shut it.

"Oh, uh," Naruto stammered. "Uh, thanks Mom. You guys are awesome."

"I know," she responded.

"We're just glad you're having a good time and making so many friends," Minato laughed.

"Yep, I even met your future daughter-in-law," Naruto joked happily.

"Yes," Kushina mused drying, eyes narrow. "I'd _**love**_ to meet this 'Sakura' of yours sometime."

"Easy girl," Minato cooed, as if talking to a Tauros ready to charge. "You're too _**young**_ to be a jealous, clingy mother-in-law."

"You're right," she laughed.

"They're not even dating," Sasuke pointed out. "She does her best to pretend Naruto doesn't even exist."

Minato saw his son deflate at this. "It's all signs of growing affection," the father reassured Naruto, "trust me."

"Anyway," Kushina cut in, "what town are you planning on going to after you're done here?"

"Uh, not sure," the blond boy admitted. "Guess wherever there's a gym?"

"You should totally check out Winterborn City," she responded, smiling big. "They have a brand-new Gym Leader. Not to mention, there's an event going on there next month that you'll just love."

"Cool," Naruto laughed. "Guess we're going to Winterborn. I suppose you couldn't tell us what kind of gym's there?"

"The city's called Winterborn," Sasuke said dryly, "what else could it be but Ice?"

"Stop being a know-it-all," Naruto retorted.

"Speaking of gyms," Minato smoothly cut in before the two boys could start arguing in earnest, "have you been to Teal Town's Gym yet?"

Both Naruto and Sasuke shook their heads, and strangely, both Kushina and Minato grinned.

"What?" Naruto asked.

"Oh, no reason," his father responded casually.

"Let's just say you're in for a pleasant surprise," his mother added.

"Oh, come on! Tell me!" the boy begged.

"No, that would spoil it," Kushina pointed out. "Now, you've had a long, long day, so get some rest now, okay? Get up early and train hard, and be sure to pace yourself right. Have fun with your Pokémon, do more than just battle with them. Remember to bath regularly, and put on clean underwear-"

"_MOOooom!_"

"I think he gets the idea, Honey," Minato laughed. "Okay boys, stay safe, and tell us if anything weird happens to you anymore. Okay?"

"Oh, and one more thing," Kushina added, smiling dangerously. "Make sure you call home regularly..._or else!_ That goes for you too, Sasuke."

Gulping, both boys nodded.

After all the goodbyes were said, the two changed into their pajamas and went to bed.

"I wonder what's going on in Winterborn City?" Naruto said, pulling the covers around him.

"I wonder what's up with this city's gym?" Sasuke responded, shrugging. "Guess we'll find out tomorrow."

"Yeah," Naruto yawned, "tomorrow..."

0o0o0

_**The next morning...**_

0o0o0

"Shush," Sakura whispered as the two girls tiptoed out of their room. She slapped a sticky-note onto the door which read 'Gone out, meet you guys at the Pokémon Academy at 12:00,' and then the two were off.

"Ahh!" Sakura sighed, stretching as they walked towards their destination, the rays of the rising sun making the morning beautiful. "We are so gonna win today! Right Hinata?"

Nervously, the dark-haired girl nodded, twiddled her fingers together and looking down. "Uh, right..."

"Azu, zu-rill," Waterlily sighed as she started nodding off in her trainer's arms.

"That's right, baby," Sakura cooed, rocking her arms gently, "conserve your energy; you're gonna need it."

"You're going to use Waterlily?" Hinata asked, surprised. "But she's just a baby."

Sakura laughed lightly. "I've been raising her for almost a year; that's about the age of your Totodile," she pointed out. "She may be small, but Waterlily's a tough little girl."

"Zu-zu!" the Azurill cheered, fighting the urge to sleep.

The three made their way to Teal Town's battle park, an area where trainers could battle freely without risk of causing property damage.

The receptionist at the front was a young man, about 25, with neatly trimmed hair and a clean uniform. "Ah, greetings, young ladies," he said happily, clapping his hands together at the sight of the two girls. "My, aren't we up early today? How can I help you two?"

"We'd like to rent a field for double battles, please," Sakura requested politely, smiling big.

"Oh, I bet you're planning on fighting the Teal Town Gym," the receptionist laughed, looking up at his list of free arenas. "You wouldn't happen to be beginning trainers?"

"That's right," Hinata nodded.

"Perfect. I've got a field available with two other starter trainers waiting for someone who wants to tag-team."

The two walked to their arena, not sure as to what to expect.

"Oh, here we are!" Sakura cried, pointing at a battlefield that was enclosed by a chain-linked fence, a sign with the number 3 posted on the door. Two trainers were already outside of it.

The duo was a boy and girl. Both had strawberry-blond hair, dark brown eyes, and tanned complexions, and were dressed in designer sportswear. The girl had her hair in a sporty braid that came down her right shoulder, while the boy's was slicked back in a way that struck Sakura as snobbish.

"Hi there!" the girl laughed, "I'm Jenny, and this is my brother, Benny. I guess you're the other tag-team, right?"

"Yeah, we are," Sakura responded, taken back by the girl's openness. "Uh, I'm Sakura, and this is Hinta; hello to you, too."

"Nice to meet you," Benny said, winking at Sakura and holding the door open. He bowed in the most gentlemanly way as the girls passed.

"Right," Sakura mused, not liking the way his smile seemed to be practiced. "Uh, let's get started, then?"

"An excellent suggestion!" Jenny cried, clapping her hands. "Go Diana!"

"You two, Charles," Benny added, throwing his Pokéball.

Jenny's Pokémon was a cute, blue penguin, while Benny's was a green turtle with a small sprout growing out of his head.

"Whao," Sakura said, pulling out her Pokédex, "aren't those from the Kumo region?"

The device sprang to life. "Piplup, the Penguin Pokémon. Piplup are very proud Pokémon that will puff out their chests after tripping or doing something clumsy.

"Turtwig, the Tiny Leaf Pokémon. Its shell is made from earth, and it hardens when Turtwig drinks water. Turtwig's body undertakes photosynthesis, andas such, it produces oxygen.

Both Piplup and Turtwig are native starting Pokémon in the Kumo Region," it concluded.

"So you two are from Kumo?" Hinata asked carefully, hoping not to offend. However, the two looked like they lived near a beach, not in the mountainous land of Kumo.

"Nah," Jenny laughed, "our parents just ordered our darling Pokémon from Kumo. Wonderful, isn't it?"

"That's pretty neat," Sakura admitted. She looked down at Waterlily, who had awakened when the two sent out their starters. "You're up, Waterlily."

"Azu!" she cried, jumping down in front of Jenny's Diana.

"Uh, I guess I choose you, W-Waltz," Hinata said nervously, calling out her Totodile.

"Two Water-types," Benny pointed out, his smile becoming vicious. He looked down at his Turtwig smugly. "I guess we'll have the advantage, Sissy."

"It can't be helped," Jenny cooed, looking at her Piplup and then to Hinata's Totodile. "Water-types are just sooo cute!"

"Th-Thank you," Hinata said, nodding.

"Right," Sakura shrugged. "I guess they are pretty nice. Uh," she added, not wanting the Turtwig to feel left out, "Charles is pretty sweet too." In truth, however, she thought that that sprout in his head must not be good for his brain.

"Thanks," Benny said, grinning. "I've always thought that Grass and Water-type are the only way to go for Starting Pokémon. Personally, I think only a fool would choose something like a Cyndaquil or a Charmander."

Sakura instantly thought of Sasuke and Togashi. "Oh, you are _so_ going down!"

0o0o0

_**Meanwhile, at Police HQ**_

0o0o

"As you can see," the white-haired man concluded, smiling smugly and stroking his beard, "you have no reason to hold my clients any longer."

Across from the desk, the officer looked over the papers the well-dressed lawyer had shown him. "Well, it seems that way," he admitted, "however, I'd like to know why someone like yourself would be-"

"Defending a trio of wrongly accused 14-year-olds?" the man asked skeptically. "It must be particularly heartless, even for a sleazy lawyer like myself," he added sarcastically. "Truth be told, I'm doing it at the request of on of the accused parents; we're old friends."

"Yes, but, these three are Snake Clan members," the officer insisted.

"We've been over this," the man persisted, getting tired of having to continue to fight with the officer. "The three are accused of being members of the so-called 'Snake Clan,' with no evidence against them other than the words of a 12-year-old girl who was trespassing and probably lying to avoid getting in trouble. And the only one who says they are indeed a member, by the girl's testimony, which is shaky at best, is Ms. Tsuchi. Mr. Abumi and Mr. Kinuta were just having an illegal battle that got out of hand, and Prof. Iruka Umino has generously offered to pay for all damages caused by this unfortunate incident. And, considering that the other minors involved were released without incident, it is clearly unfair to hold my clients, not to mention unlawful. So, are you going to let them go free now, or after the News gets wind of this unlawful injustice?"

"Fine," the officer sighed. "They're minors anyway, so I guess you have a point. Just make sure they keep their noses clean."

"I knew you'd see reason," the lawyer said with a grin.

Dosu, Zaku, and Kin were all lead outside of the police station, where they were told that their parent's lawyer was waiting for them.

"Thank you for your help," Dosu said as soon they got into the back of his car and drove off, "but would you mind explaining to us what you're doing? Don't pretend to be our parent's lawyer, either, 'cause we don't have any."

The white-haired man laughed, pulling his beard off, revealing it to be a fake. "Ha-ha! Don't worry, Little Brother. I'm one of you." He pulled out a necklace with the styled symbol that represented membership to the Snake Clan. "The name's Mizuki, and I'm here to help you with your mission."

0o0o0

_**Back at the Pokémon Center...**_

0o0o0

"I can't believe we slept in so late," Sasuke growled hopping on one foot as he slipped his socks and shoes on.

"I say we blame Sakura; she's the one that wakes us up every day after all," Naruto pointed out.

Switching feet, Sasuke shot his friend a dark glace. "What is she, your mother?"

"Vee," Bayushi hissed in agreement, jumping onto his master's shoulder.

Naruto lifted his hands defensively. "Hey, hey, I didn't mean it like that. I was just kidding around, man!"

"Whatever," Sasuke sighed, grabbing his backpack. "You do have a point though; Sakura does do that. Let's find out what's stopping her today." He walked out their room briskly.

"Hey, wait up!"

The two found their answer in the form of a note on the girl's door.

"Hmm," Sasuke grunted thoughtfully, "apparently, they've got their own plans for the day. I wonder what?"

"Maybe their shopping?" Naruto suggested. "They might not have finished it yesterday with everything going on..."

"Do you think that's all girls can do, Naruto?" Sasuke asked mockingly. "Maybe they heard a rare Pokémon is nearby that only comes out early."

"Why didn't they invite us!" the blond boy cried, stifling a yawn.

"If they're hunting rare Pokémon," his friend pointed out, "can you blame them for not wanting to have a lot of competition? Besides," he added, sticking out his tongue "they're probably after some cutesy Pokémon anyway."

"You're probably right," Naruto shrugged. He looked over at the clock. "Come on, its past 11. Let's get moving, or Sakura and Hinata will beat us to the Gym!"

0o0o0

_**At that moment, outside the Battle Park...**_

0o0o0

The two girls walked away from the park, an uneasy air between them.

Gulping, Hinata tried to talk. "Sakura, I just-"

"Don't. Say. A word!" the pink-haired girl warned, her eyes fiery.

A few more moments of awkward silence passed between them.

Then Hinata tried again. "You didn't have to do that," she said quickly, taking a step way from the other girl just in case.

"You heard that snobby little brat!" Sakura protested, getting an agreeing cry from Waterlily.

"Yes...but," Hinata said slowly, picking her words carefully, "did you really have do..._**that**_?"

"We will discuss this later!" Sakura hissed quickly, pointing.

Not too far away, Naruto and Sasuke were walking along.

"We're just in time," she laughed, her dark mood dissipating instantly. She started over to the boys. "Hey, Sasuke!"

Sighing, Hinata took one look back at the Battle Park. "Poor Benny..."

0o0o0

_**A little while later at the Pokémon Academy...**_

0o0o0

"We're here…" Naruto sighed, staring up at the academy's doors. They seemed to loom of the four kids, the Pokémon League's Symbol engraved in one, and a symbol Sasuke guessed was the gym's badge engraved in the other.

Laughing, Naruto looked over at his friends. "Well, Sasuke, here's where we earn our first badge!"

Scoffing, Sasuke glanced at him. "_I'll_ earn _my_ first badge. You'll try."

Strangely, Sakura cleared her throat. "Aren't you two forgetting something?"

"That's right," Naruto said, scratching the back of his head, "sorry, Sakura."

The girl smiled.

Naruto corrected himself. "Sasuke and I are going to earn our first badges, and you're gonna get that rare egg, right?"

Hinata squeezed other girl's shoulder to keep her from thrashing the blond boy.

"I can't wait to wipe those smug looks off their faces," Sakura hissed, glaring at the boys.

"Come on!" Naruto cheered, running up to the two doors, "let's go-!"

BAM!

The two doors flew open, slamming into Naruto and sending him to the floor.

"Whoa, what was-?"

The poor boy was cut off as a herd of children in school uniforms stampeded out, mowing him down.

"Hey, **Hey**!" a man shouted, stepping out from behind the gaggle of kids. It was Iruka, pointing at the children as they spread out. "Stay on school grounds- oh!" he cried, noticing Sakura and Sasuke (and Hinata, though he didn't know her), "You're here; I was wondering when you'd show up…where's Naruto?" Iruka looked around.

"Here, Sir," a small, broken voice said. From the floor, Naruto's arm rose up into Iruka's eye line.

"Naruto! What happened to you?"

0o0o0

_**A short while later...**_

0o0o0

"We're sorry for running you over, Naruto," the group of students said in unison, bowing to the boy.

"I'm really sorry, Naruto, but it is recess," Iruka joked.

"Yeah, well maybe you could at least teach your kids it's not polite to trample people?" Naruto suggested.

"We said we're sorry!" a little boy with a bandana on protested, crossing his arms.

"Be polite!" Iruka warned. Sighing, the professor pinched the bridge of his nose. "Ah, just go play."

"Thanks, Professor!" Without another word, the children scattered.

Iruka looked back at the four trainers. "Nice seeing you all." He glanced at Hinata. "I don't think we've been introduced. Hi, I'm Prof. Iruka, nice to meet you."

"I'm Hinata Hyuga," the girl squeaked shyly.

"Hyuga?" Iruka asked, raising an eyebrow. "You wouldn't happen to be related to Neji Hyuga, would you?"

"He's my cousin," Hinata gasped, "why do you ask?"

"I remember the name well," Iruka explained. "How couldn't I? He gave me as spectacular battle. And it was all for his first badge, only." The man smiled as he reminisced about it about it.

The girl started to deflate at the reputation she was going to have to live up to while Naruto staggered back in surprise, falling onto his butt.

"Y-Y-You're Teal Town's Gym Leader!" he gasped, pointing accusingly as Iruka nodded calmly. "Why didn't you ever tell us!"

The Professor shrugged. "Your parents thought it would be a good surprise for you. Besides, I wanted to see the look on your face."

"Congratulations, you really earned the job," Sasuke said, stepping forward. "Now that the niceties are out of the way, I challenge you for Teal Town's Badge."

"Hey, I wanted to challenged him!" Naruto shouted, jumping to his feet.

"Then get in line," Sasuke smirked, "You can play after I've beaten him."

"What?" the blond demanded, glaring. "No way! He was my favorite teacher in the first place!"

"Calm down, calm down," Sakura intervened, stepping between the two boys, "there will be plenty of time for you both to battle him-" Sasuke and Naruto backed down slightly. "-Right after me and Hinata take him," she added quickly.

Of course, the boys weren't pleased with the idea. "No way-!"

"Enough!" Iruka hissed, raising his hand.

The three youths silenced instantly.

"Excellent," Iruka sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Now, if you follow me inside, I'll decide the order I'll accept challenges in, and when I will."

As the team obeyed, Sasuke glanced over at Sakura. "When did decide to take on the gym?" he asked, genuinely confused.

"What makes you think I wasn't planning on it from the start?" Sakura retorted smugly, Waterlily nodding.

The boy shrugged. "Whatever. Just don't whine to me if you lose."

Sakura's eyes widened, her gut tightening in rage. "And what makes you think I'll do that?" she asked, pushing her anger down. After all, Sasuke was probably just trying to treat her like he would Naruto.

Instead of answering, Sasuke just smirked and turned away. On his shoulder, Bayushi laughed.

Privately, somewhere in the back of her mind, Sakura bitterly hoped to outdo him. But she quickly squashed the idea.

Meanwhile, Naruto was gleefully cheering Hinata on for deciding to fight for a badge.

"This is soooo cool," he said, slapping the girl on the back affectionately, "we're all gonna get our first badges today!"

"Y-Yeah," Hinata agreed, her nervousness showing as she twiddled her fingers together.

"We are gonna look so awesome," Naruto went on, grabbing the Pokéball that held Kata. "I bet I could win the whole thing with Kata, in fact."

At this, the girl realized that Sakura hadn't said anything about how the Gym worked. "Oh, the challenge is a-"

"Tough one!" Sakura cut in smoothly, moving between the two. "Don't think it will be easy, Naruto."

"Seriously," Sasuke agreed.

"What was that for?" Hinata asked Sakura in a hushed voice.

"Let them figure it out for themselves," she explained darkly, glaring at Sasuke as he walked on.

Sighing, Hinata decided to just go with it.

Iruka led them to a large room with a floor that was set up with white marks and dividers that showed it to be an official battlefield. To one side, there was a set of desks and seats that looked like they were for students; to another, there was a table with a microphone and laptop computer that looked like it was for a referee. A big-screen on one wall was displaying the Pokémon League's symbol at the moment. Up high, behind where the gym leader would stand, the same symbol on that was on the Academy's door was set in polished tile. It was blue and purple, and shaped to look like two Pokémon's silhouettes forming a ying-yang sign. After a moment, Sakura identified the silhouettes as being a Nidoran male and female.

A man with white hair was sitting down at the referee's table, reading a book titled Make-out Paradise, with his feet probed up.

Iruka glared at the man, who didn't realize he was no-longer alone, and cleared his throat. Yelping, the man panicked and fell to the floor.

"This is my assistant gym leader, Mizuki," Iruka said coolly, introducing the gang. "Mizuki, this is Naruto Uzumaki, Sasuke Uchina, Sakura Haruno, and Hinata Hyuga."

"Naruto Uzumaki?" Mizuki asked, getting up and shaking the kids' hands. "The same as your favorite student you told me about? The one who's dad got you a job as a profess here?"

"The one and same," Iruka nodded.

Sakura listened to the conversation, wondering a bit about Naruto's father. What kind of connections could he have to get Iruka a job like this?

"Anyway," Iruka went on, "they've challenged me to a gym battle, and I need to set everything up."

He turned to the team. "Now, let me explain something. Each gym in the League is designed to test trainers in different ways, not just in type-advantages and such. I've set up Teal Town Gym to test your Pokémon's teamwork in a double battle. You'll have to face me in a battle using two Pokémon, working together to defeat my two. If you can't get your team to work together, or if they go so far as to fight among themselves, you lose. Understood?"

The four nodded.

"Sounds really cool!" Naruto laughed. "You think of the awesomest ways to teach people, Prof. Iruka."

"You mean, 'the most awesome,' not the 'awesomest.' That's not a word," Iruka corrected. "Anyway, seeing as we have four challengers, two of you can fight me at once, and the others can face Mizuki-"

"No," Sasuke said flatly, "I refuse to win my first badge with someone else's help."

"Don't be so rude," Naruto growled. "Iruka's the one in-charge!"

"Yeah, don't be so stubborn, Sasuke," Sakura added playfully, grabbing his arm. "If you don't want to be Naruto so bad, you could fight with me." She smiled hopefully.

"I'm going to win my first badge on my one, with my own strength!" the boy persisted hotly. "I'm not going to be dragged down by someone else."

"Dragged down?" Sakura hissed in a dangerous tone. "Fine! Be that way. 'Just don't whine to me if you lose!'" she added, mimicking the same tone Sasuke had used when he said it.

"If you insist on fighting alone, I won't stop you," Iruka sighed, "but I would advise you to reconsider. It would make everything easier, you know."

"I don't want it to be easier; that's the whole point of _**earning**_ badges, isn't it?" Sasuke pointed out bluntly.

"Let the kid battle you alone," Mizuki interjected, putting a hand on his boss's shoulder. "This stubbornness will get him far in the long run, after all."

"Fine," Izuki agreed. He looked over at Sakura, Naruto, and Hinata. "But now, one of you will have to fight alone. Uh, how about you and Ms. Hyuga team up, Naruto?" he suggested.

Hinata started to blush at the thought, but Sakura quickly put it down.

"Actually, Hinata and I were planning to fight together. We've been training for double battles all morning."

"That's okay," Naruto said, "I kinda wanted to fight you alone."

"So be it," his old teacher agreed. "Mizuki, set up the computer to pick the order of challengers, please."

"Sure thing," Mizuki agreed. He thought for a moment. "Say, why don't I take the girls for you? I'm qualified as your assistant, after all, and it would be a lot easier on your Pokémon to boot. We've even got a second battlefield near the playground."

"Good idea," Iruka agreed. As Mizuki left to set things up, Iruka looked at his watch. "Anyway, I prefer to hold challenges with students watching, so they can make notes and learn. Recess is still on for a few minutes, still, so you'll have to wait."

"You could show us that egg Sakura's supposed to get," Naruto suggested, smiling.

"Good idea," Iruka said, "come on."

0o0o0

_**A little while later, in Iruka's office**_

0o0o

"The most important things in the Academy are kept in this safe," Ikura explained, walking over to a large, steel door. "These eggs are so perplexing that I've kept them secret from everyone else in the academy."

"Eggs?" Sakura asked, raising an eyebrow. "I thought there was only one?"

"Really?" the professor responded, crossing his arms. "Hmm, I guess there must have been a miscommunication."

"How did you even get them?" the pink-haired girl asked, tilting her head.

"A friend with the police found them on a raid with a smuggling ring," he explained. "After examining the two, they couldn't identify what either was no matter what they tried, so they gave them to me. Unfortunately, nothing I did could help either. That's why I decided to let Tsunade handle it. She knows so much more than me on Pokémon physiology."

The girl wondered briefly if he knew that Tsunade's method of 'handling it' was having Sakura take care of the eggs until they hatched. "No one but you is supposed to know about the eggs?" she asked.

"No one but the police," Iruka said.

"Uh, well," she started telling the story of Kin and the Snake clan.

"Well," Sakura concluded, looking over at Hinata, "I guess that Kin girl really was a member of the Snake Clan. How else could she know about the eggs?"

"This is disturbing," the professor sighed. "With those criminals involved, maybe Tsuande herself should be involved in this-"

"There's NO way I'm running back home to Tsunade!" Sakura said stubbornly. "She let me go on my trainer's journey because she knew I could do it! I'm not going to disappoint her."

Behind her, Sasuke smiled, impressed. He _liked_ this fiery side of Sakura worlds more than the flirty one he was used to.

"I understand, I understand," Iruka nodded, holding up his hands. "I was just saying how scared I am for you guys. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to open up the safe. The combination is a secret known only to me, so do you mind turning around while I-?"

"Please." Sighing, Naruto slipped right under his arm and reached for safe's dial. "17-3-43-26," the boy said, stating the numbers he entered. After the last one, the safe opened smoothly.

He looked up at Iruka, only to shrink back as he glared down at the boy.

"What?" he asked innocently. "Not my fault you use the same combination for everything."

"That explains so much," the teacher growled, making a note to memorize a new combination…and find out how the kid found out about the first one.

Sighing, he stepped into the safe-room, and came out with the two eggs, each held in a special egg case; glass cylinder containers with Pokéball set in the lid for when the egg hatched. Aside from acting as an incubator, the case would also protect the egg. One of the eggs was lavender, while the other was yellow.

"Here you go," he said, setting the two down on his desk. "Take good care of them."

"Thank you," Sakura responded gratefully. She set Waterlily down next to them. "Well Waterlily, meet your new siblings."

"Zuzu?" the Azurill said, her voice laced with wonder as she stared at the eggs.

"Hey Sakura, how are you going to carry both of those things and Waterlily?" Naruto ask.

"I'm not sure," she admitted. "I was going to put it in a pack and sling it over my shoulder, but that was before I had to deal with two…"

"Maybe I should carry one for you?" the blond asked hopefully, reaching for one of the cases.

"Nice try," Sakura laughed, smacking his hand playfully, "but you'd probably drop it." She thought for a moment. "Hinata, why don't you take one?"

Jumping, Hinata glanced at the eggs hesitantly. "I-I'm not sure if I should…" she admitted.

"Why don't you all take turns?" Iruka suggested. "That way, you can all share the responsibility and learn from the experience."

"Good idea," Sakura agreed. She picked up the case holding the lavender egg and carefully gave it to Hinata. "Now don't be modest," Sakura ordered, "you'll be great at this."

"Yeah, and if you need, I can help you" Naruto added hopefully.

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Oh, for Heaven's sake, just let him hold one," he told Sakura. "His mother breeds Pokémon anyway, so he knows how to handle eggs."

"Really?" Sakura asked, glancing at Naruto. She was learning more and more interesting things about his family. What next, his father was Konoha's Champion? "Here," she said, handing the case with the yellow egg to him, "and don't make me regret it."

The girl turned around to pick up Waterlily, and by the time she turned back, Naruto had already taken the egg out of its case and was rocking it like a baby and rubbing it affectionately. "Hey, little guy," he crooned lovingly, "hatch soon, okay? It's a great big world out here, and I wanna show you it all." After a few more seconds of baby talk, the boy realized he was being watched.

Slowly, Naruto looked up at the staring faces. "What?" he asked casually.

A flash caught his attention.

Everyone turned to see Sasuke holding Naruto's Pokénav up and taking a picture with it. "Yep, that's a keeper," the boy laughed wickedly.

"Say," Naruto said, pointing, "how'd you get that out of my pocket?"

0o0o0

_**A little while later in the Gym Battlefield…**_

0o0o0

"Take your seats everyone," Mizuki instructed, leading the class of students into the room. "Prof. Iruka's been challenged by several trainers, so you're all in for a treat."

The children cheered gleefully.

"I still expect all of you to take notes," Iruka pointed out, gaining a collective grown from the crowd.

"So, which of us is first?" Naruto asked eagerly.

"Well, I'll be fighting Sakura and Hinata outside, so they don't need to wait," Mizuki explained. "As for you and Sasuke-" The man pulled out a quarter and flipped it into the air. "-call it!"

"Heads!" Naruto shouted, watching the coin hit the floor.

"Oh, it's tails," Mizuki laughed, watching the boy deflate.

"Looks like I'm up first!" Sasuke said, walking forward proudly. Bayushi jumped off his shoulder and down in front him, sitting up regally. Several students oohed and awed with delight at the sight of the white Eevee.

"So it seems," Iruka said, looking over at Mizuki. "Why didn't you just use the computer?"

"Easier this way," the professor's assistant shrugged. "You girls ready? Or do you want to watch Sasuke's match?"

"You know what, that sounds like a good idea," Sakura mused. She and Hinata moved next to Naruto while a referee got into position.

"This will be a two-on-two double battle," Iruka said, standing on one end of the field. "The fight will continue until both members are reduced to unconscious or if the members of one team start fighting each other. Should you succeed, you will earn the Antidote Badge of Teal Town." He held out the badge, which was the same as the image on the wall, as Sasuke suspected. "Do you agree to these terms?"

"Agreed," Sasuke said in a loud and clear voice. "For my team, I choose Bayushi-" he motioned to his Eevee and then grabbed a Pokéball from his belt "-and Akodo!" Tossing the ball, Sasuke's Shinx materialized, growling proudly. "With their speed and power, I can't lose!" the boy explained.

Bayushi glanced at Akodo, hissing quietly, warning him not to try anything like the last time the he was out. Akodo responded by Leering slightly, eyes glowing threateningly. Both went unnoticed by their owner.

Prof. Iruka nodded. "So you plan on fighting that way," he said, tossing a pair of purple Pokéballs. "Then I choose Pompey and Shylock; go!"

The Pokéballs opened and flashed out light that materialized into two Pokémon. One was the round, purple Koffing, and the other the flower-like Bellsprout.

"In the Challenger's Corner stands Sasuke Uchiha of Palace City, a beginning trainer" the referee said into the microphone. Sasuke's picture appeared on the screen, along with Bayushi and Akodo's. "And in the Home Corner, Professor Iruka Umino, Teal Town's Gym Leader and 'The Pinpoint Teacher.' Will this newcomer's team be able to defeat the Professor's poisonous tactics?" As with Sasuke, an image of Iruka and each of his team appeared on the big-screen.

"A Poison Gym," Sasuke noted, wishing he had the foresight to bring a few antidotes, "this will be interesting."

"Go Sasuke, go!" Sakura shouted, jumping up and down.

"Show us what you're made of!" Naruto cheered.

"Good luck," Hinata added, notably quieter.

Meanwhile, Iruka's students gave catcalls and shouts for their teacher.

"Begin!" the referee called.

Sasuke moved first. "Quick Attack, Bayushi! Akodo, Charge up!"

Bayushi dashed for the Bellsprout while Akodo's fur sparked with electricity, building up power. However, Iruka was prepared for such tactics.

"Protect your partner with Clear Smog, Pompey," Iruka ordered calmly. "Shylock, Ingrain."

While his Bellsprout rooted itself in place, Pompey dove down to ground level and breathed in deep. Just as Bayushi was about hit him, the Koffing blew out a billow of white smoke right into the Eevee's face. "Fing!"

"Vee!" Bayushi coughed, stumbling to his knees.

"Save Bayushi!" Sasuke ordered Akodo. "Use Spark on the Koffing!"

"Shinx!" Akodo responded, running at Pompey. The Poison-type tried flying up, but Akodo jumped right up and rammed into him, unleashing a powerful blast of electricity.

"Pompey," Iruka gasped, his Pokémon in a daze from the extreme voltage while Akodo held onto him with his teeth.

"Quick Attack, Bayushi," Sasuke said, noting his Eevee was already on his feet.

"Vee!" This time, Bayushi rammed into Shylock without interference. The Bellsprout was unable to dodge with his roots planted into the ground, and he was forced to grapple with the Normal-type.

"All right!" Naruto laughed. "Sasuke's separated the two already!"

The dark-haired boy smiled at the compliment. "Good work you two," he called to his Pokémon. "Keep up the offence and we got this."

"Sorry, but you've got a lot to learn about teamwork," Iruka said, smiling without worry. "Now, use the Screech-Growth combo!"

Pompey's face, dazed only a moment ago, broke into a smile. "Kooooooff!" he cried, letting out a disorientating sound.

Both Akodo and Bayushi were affected; the Electric cub let go of his foe, dropping to the ground while Bayushi winced in pain, forgetting about the Bellsprout.

Meanwhile, said Bellsprout scrunched down, drawing on nourishment from the ground, and stretched up, stem and leaves expanding and gaining strength.

"Perfect form," Iruka said. "Now Shylock, use Wrap on Bayushi."

Shylock nodded, a vine sprouting from a leaf and snaking around his foe. "Bell-Sprout," he hissed, tightening his grip.

Bayushi squirmed in pain. "Eevee!"

"Get away from it!" Sasuke shouted, but he could already tell his Pokémon was trapped. "Akodo, help-"

However, the Shinx had already gotten up and hissed hatefully at Pompey. He leapt at the Koffing, digging his teeth in with a Bite attack right on Pompey's mouth.

"Fing?" the Koffing staggered, unable to speak proper.

"Ignore him," Sasuke ordered angrily, "get the Bellsprout!"

"Shylock, use Poison Powder," Iruka ordered.

"Bell-" The Grass Pokémon drew in air, puffing up.

"Don't let him, Bayushi," Sasuke ordered. "Bite him!"

The Eevee gnawed at Shylock's vines, but they healed quickly from the Bellsprout's Ingrain move.

"-Sprout!" Skylock spat out a cloud of purple spores at both Pompey and Akodo. While the Poison-type was unphased, the Shinx was affected by the poisonous powder instantly, visibly weakening.

"Akodo no!" Sasuke cried.

"Perfect, now use Venoshock Pompey!" Iruka ordered.

The Koffing puffed up, shooting out several neon-green globs of goo out of the holes in his body. They hit Akodo dead on, blasting him off Pompey.

Even after hitting the ground, Akodo just hissed defiantly, staggering to his feet, eyes glowing. However, the green goo started to tingle with energy, and gave him another shock.

"What happened?" Sasuke asked.

"Venoshock hits the opponent with a special liquid that reacts to the poison in the body, causing it to do extra damage against a poisoned target," Iruka explained.

From the sidelines, Sakura sighed hopelessly. "This is bad. Iruak's team is built around supporting each other, while Sasuke's just trying to power through."

"Hey Sasuke!" Naruto screamed. "Your Pokémon need to work together and outsmart Iruka's!"

"Shut up!" the other boy growled. "I don't need you or anyone else's help! I'll earn my badge on my own! Akodo, Spark! Bayushi, keep Biting!"

"Shylock, ignore the Eevee and stop Akodo with Vine Whip!"

"Sprout!" The Bellsprout did as he was told, letting the Eevee bite away at his regenerating vine and shooting out a second vine from his other leaf, using it to punch the sparking Shinx away from his partner.

"Quick! Use Assurance while he's still in the air, Pompey," Iruka said.

"Koffingkoffingkoffing," Pompey laughed, spinning around and flying at Akodo, hitting him hard.

Akodo was able to land on his feet, but crumbled to his knees as the venom from Shylock's poison weakened him further.

"Now wrap him!" Iruka ordered. Shylock's vine quickly wrapped around the Shinx, securing both of Sasuke's Pokémon in a hold.

However, just as Iruka was about to order another attack, Bayushi managed to wriggle free of Shylock's grip. Hissing, the Eevee then reached up and bit down on his foe's lip, chomping down as hard as he could!

"Alright!" Sasuke shouted, pumping an arm. "Good job, Bayushi!"

"Sprout!" Shylocked panicked, loosening his grip on Sasuke's Shinx.

"Pompey, hit Bayushi with Assurance," Iruka said, truly surprised at the turn of events.

"Akodo, stop him with Leer," Sasuke ordered. "Bayushi, Quick Attack!"

The Koffing started to get ready for his spinning attack, but Akodo's vicious eyes glowed sinisterly, spooking him for a second. That was all Bayushi needed, as he rushed in and tackled the floating ball, sending him sprawling in the air.

"Shylock, get them with Vine Whip!"

The Bellsprout nodded, drawing his vines up high! "Bell-Sprout! Bell-Sprout! Bell-Sprout!" he cried, lashing out at both enemies, one after the other.

The two, however, nimbly dipped and dodged until they moved outside of Shylock's reach. Suddenly, Sasuke had an idea.

"Both of you, use Bite on one of his vines each and don't let go," Sasuke explained.

His Pokémon nodded, and when Shylocked tried to hit them again, they both lunged, sinking their teeth into the Bellsprout's Vine Whip.

"Bell?"

"Now, quick, Bayushi go left and Akodo right; run as far as you can!" Sasuke ordered.

"No," Iruka gasped, realizing his foe's plan.

However, Sasuke's Pokémon succeeded, and soon, his poor Bellsprout was stretched out, straining and trying to pull his vines back in. His Ingrain attack now left him helplessly immobilized, unable to move around at all.

"Try to Wrap them both, and squeeze tight!"

Shylock tugged as strong as he could, and succeeded in wrapping his vines around Bayushi and Akodo. He started coiling down, hurting both.

"Good, now Assurance, Pompey!"

"Koff!" The Koffing spun around, flying at Bayushi.

However, the Eevee grinned mischievously and started running toward Shylock.

The Bellsprout's pulling added to Bayushi's speed, making his improved Quick Attack twice as fast as before, not only allowing him to dodge Pompey's attack, but also ram into Shylock with extra force.

"Sprout!"

"Veeveevee!" Laughing manically at his cleverness, Bayushi quickly ran back to where he was, Shylock too dizzy from his attack to stop him. Meanwhile, Pompey had slammed into the floor after missing Bayushi, and was seeing stars.

"Great work, Bayushi!" Sasuke cheered, grinning freely. "You're perfect!"

"Yeah, that was awesome!" Naruto agreed.

Hinata and Sakura added their praises as well.

As they all lauded Bayushi, Akodo looked on bitterly, wanting his master's praise too. However, it was only after Bayushi smirked at the Shinx mockingly did Akodo really feel his jealousy swell up.

"Shiiiiiiiii-" Akodo built up electrical power, ignoring the pain from the poison.

Sasuke realized too late what was happening. "Akodo, don't-!"

"SHINX!" Screaming a powerful battle cry, Akodo unleashed as much lighting as he could, letting the attack course though the vine down to his foe.

Unfortunately, he couldn't have predicted what happened next. Shylock, being a Grass-type, was relatively unharmed by the attack, his Ingrained roots channeling most of the electricity away from him. However, that wasn't the worst part.

The electrical attack was so powerful that it jumped past Shylock and continued on his other vine, right at Bayushi!

"VEEEEEEE!" he cried as he was shocked.

"…this won't end well," Naruto whispered nervously as the Eevee looked venomously at his partner.

"Vee-vee!" Bayushi demanded, glaring, clearly asking what he problem was.

Akodo responded, "Shinx-shi," his tone clearly mocking.

"Vee!" Hissing aggressively, Bayushi rushed at Akodo, who ran at him in turn.

The two clashed and started wrestling, paying no mind to Iruka's Pokémon.

"Hey, stop it!" Sasuke ordered, trying in vain to get his Pokémon under control. "I said STOP IT!"

"That's enough!" Iruka said loudly, holding up his hand.

"Agreed," the referee said over the microphone. "Sasuke's team is has failed to cooperate and has fallen to fighting amongst themselves. They are disqualified, and victory goes to Protester Iruka!"

At this, both Bayushi and Akodo stopped fighting and separated, looking up at their trainer, fear in their eyes.

Naruto winced at the news. "Oooh, he's going to be so mad."

Sasuke looked like he was about to protest the ruling. But then, he just breathed in. Beside himself with anger, Sasuke glowered down at Bayushi, then Akodo.

The two shrank down, unable to meet his gaze.

Uttering a wordless growl, the boy nodded curtly at Iruka. He then returned Akodo, muttering something about going to deal with his poisoning, and started walking briskly for the door.

Sakura ran over to him, grabbing his arm. "Sasuke, wait-"

"Can't you leave me be!" he hissed, pulling away and glaring at the girl. "I didn't even ask you to follow me around in the first place!"

Sakura backed away, her eyes tearing up. However, Sasuke didn't even notice, as he had already left the room.

Quietly, Bayushi followed his trainer, trying to sneak away as the shame at his immature behavior and even more humiliating defeat burning with every person's glance.

0o0o0

**To be Continued...**

0o0o0

**-****Author's Notes**-

Sorry to cut the story off right in the middle of a battle, but this was already nearing 50 pages on my computer; sure, it was double-spaced, but still, that's a bit long.

Next chapter will be Sakura and Hinata vs. Mizuki, Iruka vs. Naruto, and we also find out what happened with the Sound Trio.

Before that, I need your helps with something.

The Sound Trio needs a motto, like Team Rocket's. My brother and I are working on one, but if any of you want to tell me your ideas, that would really help out.

I am debating on giving Naruto one of the following Pokemon: Sandile, Gligar, or Larvitar. Tell me, which one do you think is best for him, and why? If you dislike them all, please, give me another idea instead. Also, if you have an idea for what kind of personality they should have, feel free to tell me.

After some long debating with a friend and thinking it over myself, I have chosen to add some of the Pokémon that evolve from or into a Pokémon from a previous Generation from Generation IV.

_**The following will be added to the story**_:

_Froslass_

_Gallade_

_Glaceon & Leafeon_

_Gliscor_

_Honchkrow_

_Togekiss_

_**Meanwhile, the following will NOT be added to the story**_:

_Dusknoir_

_Probopass _

_Porygon-Z _

_Mamoswine _

_Yanmega _

_Magmortar _

_Electivire _

_Tangrowth_

_Rhyperior _

_Lickilicky_

_Magnezone _

_Happiny _

_Munchlax _

_Mantyke_

_Mime Jr._

_Chingling _

_Bonsly _

_Mismagius _

_Ambipom _

_Weavile _

_Budew_

_Roserade_

Thank you all so much for all your help, and I hope you continue to enjoy my work.


	12. Chapter 10, Part 2

**Disclaimer**

Let me just start out with the standard Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, Pokémon, or any of the associated or mentioned franchises/companies, and I am not making a profit on this.

The image I am using was made by BlissfulGold on , and I am using it with their permission. Please check out they DeviantART page sometime.

**Review Response**

0o0o0**  
><strong>

Okay right now, it seems that of Sandile, Gligar, and Larvitar, good old Larvitar is the most poluare, with 5 votes for him and none anywere else. However, just so you guys know, unlike the other two, Larvitar would not evolve (for various reasons). He or she would remain a Larvitar, in all his or her Larvitar-ish glory. So if that changes your mind on Larvitar, you may change your vote, on account that I am now holding a poll for it.

Also, none of you have mentioned anything about what personality it should have. So, feel free to tell me that too.

Thank you everyone for all your support! Now, on to the chapter!

0o0o0

Pokémon Konoha

Chapter 10

Part 2

"What a sore loser," one student said to his friend loudly, sticking out his tongue at Sasuke's back as the boy left the gym.

Of course, Naruto heard the child, and growled angrily. "Shut your mouth, you brat!"

"That loser was just being a stinky-head!" the boy retorted.

"You're a stinky-head!" Naruto snapped back immaturely.

"No, you are!"

"No, you are!"

"No, you!"

"You!"

"You!"

"You!"

"You infinity," the student said triumphantly, blowing a raspberry. The other kids cheered.

"Doh! Darn, he's good," the blond growled, crossing his arms.

"Behave, both of you!" Prof. Iruka shouted at last, stepping before his class. "Listen up, all of you: No matter what a person does, so long as he doesn't break any rules or hurt anyone, you have no right to judge or be rude to them. That's basic Trainer Etiquette, and a Gym Leader has every right to refuse your challenge, or even refuse to hand over their badge, should you fail to follow it. Understand, or do I need to assign a 5-paragraph essay?"

"We understand," his students said quickly, the fear evident in their eyes.

Their teacher smiled, pleased with his ability to get a class under control. "Good, now have a half-hour break so you can stretch and talk about what you saw just now." Nodding, he left for the School's infirmary to have his Pokémon patched up.

The kids cheered, jumping up and dividing into groups with their friends.

Meanwhile, Naruto and the gang were scarcely paying attention, too busy talking amongst themselves.

"Poor Sasuke," Naruto sighed, looking at the door. "Maybe we should go-?"

"No," Sakura hissed, her voice firm, yet shaking. Her eyes were blinking repeatedly, fighting to hold back tears. "Leave him."

Naruto tilted his head. "But Sakura-"

The girl glowered at the boy. "He's just being a jerk! A big jerk! I'm not going be part of his pity party, and neither are you two!"

Sakura grabbed Hinata's hand and stomped over to Mizuki. "Hey, we're ready for a battle whenever you are!"

The white-haired man raised an eyebrow. "You don't want to wait and cheer on Naruto?"

"He doesn't need it," she responded confidently. "Naruto's gonna win, and so are we. Then maybe Sasuke will realize just how stupid and rude he was and ask for our help!"

Next to her, Hinata winced. She really wanted to cheer Naruto on, and she really didn't like the idea of rubbing their victories, if any of them did win, into Sasuke's face.

However, Naruto spoke up before she could. "Go on ahead," the boy said, shrugging. "I mean, Sasuke needs some time to himself, and it's not fair for us to put our battles on hold just because he lost. He still has my Pokénav, so we can call if we need him."

"B-But don't you want us to watch you?" Hinata asked, blushing slightly.

"Well, actually, yeah, I'd love having a bunch of girls ooh and awe while I show off," Naruto admitted, rubbing the back of his head and laughing like Jiraiya. "But I get that you guys wanna have your own battle, and even though I'd like having you two watching me be awesome (like I always am), I understand if you don't wanna…uh, unless you do, in which case…"

The boy rambled on and on, not sure how to say what he meant. Meanwhile, Hinata was blushing brightly. Unfortunately for them, several of the students noticed.

"Kissy-kissy!" he shouted, pointing at the two, "Somebody's in LOVE!"

Instantaneously, the entire class broke into a fit of catcalls and giggles, some singing mocking playground love songs. Hinata's face turned a deep shade of pink, while Naruto felt a surge of anger boil up from his stomach.

Whipping around, the boy breathed in and shouted, "SHUT YOUR MOUTHS, YOU SNOT-NOSED BRATS!"

The class responded by bursting into loud, mocking laughter.

"Look, he's protecting his _**Girl**_friend!" one kid laughed.

"She could do better," a girl commented.

"Come on, Hinata!" Sakura sighed, grapping the poor girl's arm and leading out of the room. "Let's go, Mizuki," she added, wondering why he wasn't doing anything to try and control the class.

"Here," Naruto added, handing the yellow egg (back in its case) to Sakura. "This might get ugly, and I don't want Jr. around to see me crack open a couple of kid's skulls."

The girl was about to warn him not to do anything stupid when Iruka entered, causing the class to quickly fall into a fearful silence.

0o0o0

**Meanwhile…**

0o0o0

Sasuke walked down the street, every step echoing the anger he felt inside. Falling in step behind him, Bayushi followed timidly, staying a good distance away.

Once in a while, the boy turned around and looked at the Eevee, who would glance up hopefully, but then quickly case his eyes down when he saw the look in his master's eyes.

Without a word, the two quickly made their way to the Pokémon Center. Sasuke walked up to the counter, and was greeted by the nurse.

"Welcome," she said, her voice notably calm and even, as if she knew the boy was in a bad enough mood without having to deal with a honey-sweet personality. "How can I assist you?"

Sasuke breathed in and out deeply, careful to make no sound as he did so, before talking. "My Pokémon just lost-" he began, but then paused. "-I mean, my Pokémon were in a battle, and need to be healed. This one," he added, handing over Akodo's Pokéball, "is poisoned." He picked up Bayushi and handed him over to the nurse without looking the Eevee in the eye. "Thank you."

"You're welcome, young man," the nurse responded, bowing her head. "You know, it may not be my business," she added as the boy stalked away, "but being angry at your Pokémon for loosing may not be the best way to encourage them to win."

At this, Sasuke stopped, looking over his shoulder. "If a battle is lost," he replied coldly, "then it's entirely the fault of the trainer; no one else's." Without another word, the youth left.

The nurse stood blinking, confused. "If he says losing was his fault, why is he acting like he's mad at you?" she asked Bayushi.

Much to her surprise, the Pokémon cringed in shame at the question.

**0o0oo**

Back in his room, Sasuke was able to brood in private.

Good, because he wanted to be alone. Right now, he didn't even want Bayushi around, knowing full well that he'd probably shout at his poor Eevee for making him lose the battle, and that would be more than just cruel and unfair, that would be lying.

Angry as he was, Sasuke knew the truth of the matter: he lost today because of one person; and that was him.

Growling, the boy flopped onto the bed and looked up at the ceiling.

ARHG! Why was he so mad anyway!? So he lost, what was the big deal?

_I lost my first gym battle, and it wasn't even because the enemy was too strong_, Sasuke thought bitterly, taking off his jacket and throwing it across the bed. _It was because my __Pokémon couldn't-_

"NO! It wasn't because of them," he forced himself to admit aloud. "Even if they started fighting each other, it was because of me. I didn't train them well enough."

Strangely, even though saying this hurt Sasuke's gut like a Beedrill's sting, he had to admit…it was a good hurt.

"Okay, I know what the real problem is, and I admitted it, so why do I still feel so angry?!" the boy shouted, jumping up from the bed. "What am I even angry at!?"

He started pacing back and forth, like a caged Luxray, his anger mixing with all sorts of emotions like self-pity, confusion, self-loathing, guilt, and sorrow.

Finally, he sat back down on the bed. "What am I supposed to do?" the boy asked aloud, as if the air could answer him. He felt something hard with his hand, and turned to see Naruto's Pokénav sticking out of his jacket's pocket.

In the back of his mind, Sasuke remembered how Aunty Kushina told him to call his mother soon.

Despite himself, the boy laughed.

"She would know what the real problem here is," Sasuke admitted, turning on the phone setting.

As Sasuke was about to dial home, he realized just how pathetic this would look: him losing his first fight and then calling his mother to comfort him.

Cringing, Sasuke debated what to do for a moment. However, just as he was about to put the Pokénav back down, he swore he could hear Aunty Kushina say, "Too proud to ask your mother for help? Don't you love her?"

Flinching, he quickly picked it up and dialed home, praying Naruto would never find out about this.

"Well, even if he did," Sasuke admitted as the phone rang, "he's a Mama's Boy too, and he knows it."

The phone was answered by a voice that filled the boy with calm happiness. "Hello?" his mother said, "can I help you?"

"Hey Mom," he answered. "It's me, Sasuke. Yeah, you can help."

0o0o0

**Outside Teal Town Gym…**

0o0o0

Hinata and Sakura stood on the grass field that had been set up for battles. Across from them, Mizuki watched the two.

"Okay then, it seems we're all ready," the teacher said, waving. "I trust you know the rules? This will just be a two-on-two double battle. Simple enough?"

Sakura nodded. "Fine, and for this battle, I choose my Waterlily!" Said Pokémon leapt from her trainer's arms, hopping into the ring eagerly.

"A baby Pokémon?" Mizuki asked mockingly. "You sure about that?"

"This 'baby' is going to wipe that grin off your face!" Sakura exclaimed.

"A-Zu!" Waterlily growled, baring her teeth.

"A-And I'll be using my Starting Pokémon, too," Hinata stuttered nervously, tossing Rhapsody's Pokéball. The Totodile materialized dancing, as usual.

A dark grin spread across Mizuki's face. A baby and a dancing cutesy Pokémon; this was going to be easier then he thought. Looking past the girls, he eyed the two precious eggs in their cases, virtually unguarded. His grin became wider. He could almost taste his success-

"Hey, what's the hold up?" Sakura demanded, wondering why Iruka's assistant was just standing there with a stupid grin on his face.

"Oh, right," Mizuki said, shaking himself from his thoughts. He grabbed two Pokéballs from his belt. "Grimer, Gulpin, go!"

The two Pokémon that appeared were, in a word…gross. The one called Grimer was made up of purple sludge with a mouth, eyes, and arms being only vaguely disenable, and smelled something aweful. The Gulpin looked like a green blop with a feather on his head.

"Haha," Mizuki laughed, pointing at his team. "Behold: Grimer, the Sludge Pokémon, and Gulpin, the Stomach Pokémon. They're more than capable of putting down your Water-types, I think."

"We'll see about that!" Sakura shouted. "Waterlily, start this out with a Water Gun!"

"Follow suit, Rhapsody."

The girl's Pokémon fired twin jets of water at Mizuki's team, hitting both. Sakura was actually surprised; she expected at least one of them to dodge.

Mizuki winced, but then said, "Grimer, fight back with Disable!"

The Sludge Pokémon held out his arm, blocking the steam of water. Then his eyes glowed as a thin, blue ring of light was fired from his hand, dissipating Rhapsody's attack as it made its way to him. When it hit, the Totodie's Water Gun stopped completely, and the Pokémon was now outlined by a dim blue light.

"Toto?" Rhapsody gasped, trying to fire another jet, with no success.

Next to him, Waterlily looked at her partner, confused as to what had happened. "Azu?"

"What?" Hinata asked, looking at her opponent for an explanation.

"Grimer's Disable locks down a Pokémon's attack for a spell," he explained. "You'll have to find another way to win this. Gulpin, Grimer, now use a double pound!"

"Evade," Sakura instructed, watching her Azurill use her tail's weight to fling herself to safety as the two blobs tried to ram into her and Rhapsody.

Meanwhile, the Totodile nimbly danced out of the way, waving as the Grimer flew past him. Once his foe's back was to him, Rhapsody drew back and tried to fire his Water Gun, which failed miserably.

"You can't use that attack, Rhapsody," Hinata called. "Try a Scratch instead!"

Growling, the blue crocodile jumped forward and lashed with his claws, catching Grimer in the face. His foe winced in pain, but when Rhapsody tried to pull back, he found his arm stuck in the sticky Pokémon's body!

"Child's play," Mizuki laughed. "Use Pound, Grimer. Gulpin, Poison Gas attack!"

"Water Gun now, Waterlily!"

The Gulpin started to breathe deeply in preparation for his attack, but his open mouth was instantly hit by Waterlily's jet of liquid. "Gulp!?" Shocked, the Poison-type started to bloat and fill as Waterlily continued to fire into him.

Meanwhile, Grimer raised an arm and smacked Rhapsody across the face. The hit was strong, but the Water-type remained stuck.

"Perfect!" Mizuki cheered. "Do it again!"

"Rhapsody, when Grimer attacks," Hinata instructed quickly, "Bite his hand!"

"To-TO!" Rhapsody laughed, understanding.

When the Grimer tried to hit him with another slap, the Totodile caught the attack in his wide jaws, clamping down.

The Grimer yelped in pain, flailing his arm around so violently that he pulled Rhapsody free and flung him away.

The Totodile landed and bounced to his feet, spitting and gasping as he tried to get the Sludge Pokémon's taste out of his mouth. "To-DILE!"

"Poor Rhapsody…" Sakura sighed. Considering how it smelled, she couldn't even imagine how it tasted!

"Pretty clever, girly," Mizuki growled. "But this is ending down! Gulpin, use- GULPIN!?"

The Stomach Pokémon rolled across the field with Waterlily playfully balancing atop him, filled with so much water that he was now swollen twice his size. He cried out for help pitifully.

"You should pay more attention to both your Pokémon, and not just the one winning," Sakura commented confidantly. "Now Waterlily, Slam him!"

"Zuril," her Pokémon laughed, jumping up and crashing back down on Mizuki's Gulpin. Not only did this damage him, but it also caused him to violently fire out all the water inside him at Grimer in a flood of an attack.

"Gu-!" was all he could say

"Harden, Grimer!" Mizuki shouted.

"Gri," he nodded, pulling his arms into his body and closing his eyes. As the wave of water washed over him, Grimer's sticky body dried and hardened. He didn't move an inch, nor was he damaged.

"Well Waterlily, use Watergun and-"

Before Sakura could finish, Mizuki's Gulpin rose up and roared, causing Waterlily to lose her balance and fall over.

"Disable her Water Gun before she gets up, Grimer," Mizuki ordered.

Chuckling darkly, the sludgy Pokémon sent a white ring at Sakura's Pokémon. It was about to hit-

"Defend her, Rhapsody!" Hinata cried.

With surprising speed, the Totodile, still under the Disable's effect, jumped in front of the Azurill, taking the attack with no effect.

The gym leader's aid was stunned by such coordination, and the shy girl did not let the opportunity go to waste.

"Follow up with Scary Face!"

"Toto-" Rhapsody drew himself back, covering his face…and then jumped up, flailing out his arms and screaming. "-DILE!"

Mizuki's team staggered back in fear, allowing his Azurill partner to get back atop her tail.

"Waterlily, now, use your strongest attack," Sakura instructed. "BubbleBeam!"

"Azurill!" Waterlily fired a powerful jet of bubbles, each hard as balls of glass. The attack spread out, hitting both the Grimmer and Gulpin.

The two tried to shield themselves from the attack as Azurill fired more and more bubbles.

Sakura laughed, clapping Hinata on the back. "Ha, we're winning!"

However, Mizuki was not worried. "Just hang in a little longer, boys."

"What do you mean?" the pink-haired girl asked, but then she realized. Waterlily's attack was suddenly slowing down.

"You're Pokémon's well raised for its age," Mizuki pointed out, "but she's a baby nonetheless." He turned to his Pokémon. "Double Sludge time!"

Ignoring the bubble attack, which was now notably weaker, the Poison-types spewed steams of unsanitary black-brown sludge, hitting both Waterlily and Rhapsody so hard the two were thrown back.

"Waterlily!" Sakura cried out as her baby hit the floor. The little Azurill was too tired from her BubbleBeam onslaught that she couldn't move.

"A-ha!" Mizuki laughed. "Sludge again, but this time, aim for Little Ms. Mighty Mouse."

As the Grimer and Gulpin prepared to fire, Hinata saw Sakura nearly crying, and knew what she had to do. "Rhapsody, protect Waterlily!"

"Dile-di!" Nodding, her faithful Pokémon did not hesitate.

"What the-?" Mizuki managed before the Totodile sprang into action.

He bolted, grabbing Waterlily and using his tail as a springboard to leap over the twin Sludge attacks.

"Hit them while they're in mid-air!" Mizuki shouted desperately.

However, as his Pokémon fired, Hinata realized that her Pokémon was no longer suffering from the Disable attack. "Rhapsody, fire your Water Gun directly down!"

Rhapsody fired off a jet of water downwards as his trainer suggested, sending him and Waterlily upwards.

"Awesome!" Sakura cheered.

Rhapsody laughed and posed, not realizing that he and Waterlily were now plunging to the ground until he landed on his butt painfully. "Toto-doh!" he cried, rubbing his hindquarters.

"We got them now!" Mizuki said, pointing. "Fire da' cannons, men!"

"Gulpin!" his Stomach Pokémon shouted, spewing sludge.

"Grimer!" his Sludge Pokémon agreed, flowing suit.

"Rhapsody, move!" Hinata begged. However, his lower body was too sore to be quick. Instead, he pushed Sakura's baby Pokémon behind him, puffing out his chest.

"Helping Hand, Waterlily!"

At the last minute, Waterlily's body glowed, her movement speeding up as she shoved Rhapsody out of the way with her tail. The Totodile could only watch as she took the attack's full force.

"DILE!" Rhapsody cried, jumping to his feet and running over to Waterlily, scooping her out of the disgusting muck.

"Zu-zu," she said weakly.

"Sakura, why?" Hinata asked, wondering if Waterlily was okay.

However, the other girl didn't hear her. "Waterlily…" she whispered, "are you alright?"

"If you want to surrender, I fully understand," Mizuki said. "It would be the mature decision to know when you're-" He trailed off, instead looking at Rhapsody.

The Totodile's eyes turned red and his breathing shallow, anger emanating from him.

"Rhapsody, what's happening?" Hianta asked.

"To…to…dile!" he growled, glaring at Gulping and Grimer, who started to back away.

"DILE!" Screaming murder, the Totodile rushed forward with amazing speed.

"Gulpin, stop him!" Mizuki stammered, not expecting this. "Poison Gas!"

"Gulp-in!" The Pokémon started to expel noxious fumes, but instead of being slowed dowm, Rhapsody just grabbed the blob and raised him above his head.

"Toto-" he screamed, slamming the poor Gulpin down onto the Grimer, "-DILE!" Rhapsody lifted Gulpin up, and repated the attack again and again.

"DILE! DILE! DILE! DILEDILEDILEDILEDILE!"

"Grimer, Pound! Sludge! Anything!" Mizuki screamed, watching as his two Pokémon were utterly throttled.

"That must be Rhapsody's Rage attack," Sakura gasped.

She turned, and much to her surprise, Hinata was gripping herself tightly, biting her lips as she watched her Totodile unleash his wrath upon Mizuki's Pokémon. Finally, the soft-spoke girl could take no more.

"Rhapsody, stop!" she screamed, running over and ripping her Totodile away from the fight. "Please, stop," Hianta begged, pulling him into a hug.

Slowly, Rhapsody's breathing slowed down, and his eyes returned to normal.

"Toto…dile?" he whispered, looking around.

"Good boy," his trainer sighed, holding him tight.

"Azurill?" a small voice squeaked.

The pair looked around, and saw Waterlily nearby her trainer. The Azurill shook herself, glowing light blue as water-like waves flowed around her. The glowing subsided, and she was now clean and fresh-looking, if not still scuffed up from the fight.

"My Waterlily can use Refresh," Sakura explained. "It may not be the same as a good night's rest, but it will do the trick in a pinch. See, Rhapsody, you're friend's okay."

"Zu-Zu!" Waterlily cheered.

"Totodile-dile-to!" Laughing, Rhapsody jumped out of Hinata's arms and started doing his Snoopy Happy-dance (one he learned from Naruto).

"Good work," Mizuki said, looking over at his Pokémon. Grimer was now little more than a flat pile of sludge that was trying very hard to pretend to be dead so he'd be left alone, while Gulpin had been beaten to unconsciousness long before Rhapsody was done using him as a hammer. Sighing, Mizuki returned the two.

"Well," he went on, walking over to the two girls. "It seems as though you win."

"But I interfered with the match," Hinata said, confused.

"Only because your Pokémon was going berserk and mine were utterly helpless," Mizuki pointed out. "Besides, I was about to call them back when you saved the day. Good think you did too, or your Totodile might have tried to attack me. I say you both showed cooperation and maturity as trainers, not to mention proved your Pokémon's superior skill and strength. You both earned you're Antidote Badges!"

"OH YEAH!" Sakura shouted, pumping her arms. "We did it! We beat our first gym, and on our first try!"

She laughed and high-fived Hinata, whooping and jumping about. Rhapsody happily joined in while Hinata was pulled into the crazy victory dance.

Meanwhile, no one noticed Waterlily as she gazed at the dancing Rhapsody, blushing.

0o0o0

**Back at the PokéCenter…**

0o0o0

"-I told her I didn't even want her around in the first place and ran out," Sasuke concluded, recounting his actions in the gym, which now struck him as childish.

"I see," Mikoto said thoughtfully. Her fingers where threaded together in front of her chin, which rested against them gently.

"I know, I was being a brat and a jerk," her son confessed, "and you have every right be disappointed."

"While your treatment of your teammate is something you'll need to apologize to her for, the rest of your actions are not nearly as bad as you make them out to be, Sasuke," Mikoto explained.

"What?" Sasuke asked, confused. "But I-"

"Lost your first gym battle because your Pokémon attacked each other," his mother pointed out. "And yet, instead of yelling or saying it wasn't fair, as several 12-year-olds would have, you quietly conceded defeat and left before doing anything childish. Save of course, yelling at your friend, but that is at least understandable. Also, instead of blaming your Pokémon for your loss, you had the maturity to blame youself, even though you were upset. You even had the foresight to go straight to the PokéCenter and have them healed." She smiled gently. "I would say that's acting pretty grown-up for someone your age, Sasuke."

Instead of making him feel better, his mother's words only caused Sasuke to feel his stomach churn like he swallowed a Vanillite. "You're just sugar-coating everything, Mom," he said accusingly. "You weren't there. You didn't see how I acted."

"Okay, perhaps I am sugar-coating it, even if just a little," she admitted. "But the fact is you acted much better than most trainers would have in your shoes."

Sasuke scowled a bit. "Then why am I still feeling bad about it?"

Mikoto resisted the urge to smile. Her boy had such trouble sorting out and understanding emotions, not unlike his father when he was young. "Well, you said yourself you were being a jerk, Baby. Of course you're going to feel bad about it now that you've calmed down. After all, you must be feeling guilty about losing the match when you were sure your team would win, and about the hurtful things you said to Sakura. You must think you've betrayed their trust, but please, Sasuke, understand that you haven't, okay?"

"What do you mean?" the boy asked.

"Everyone, no matter what Pokémon they have or how much training they do, lose," Mikoto explained. "In fact, losing is an important step in getting stronger; how else can you learn from your mistakes and grow?" She paused, letting her words sink in. "Now, I know you think that you didn't win because of your actions, but that's not true, not entirely. Maybe you should have trained your Pokémon more, and maybe you should have taken others' advice, but your Pokémon fought because they choose to. It doesn't matter why they did, but that they did. You trusted them to work with you, and in that, they came short."

"But Father said that losing a battle is on the head of the trainer, because they failed to teach their team properly," Sasuke protested.

"Well, your Father is wrong this time, Sasuke," Mikoto responded firmly. "Pokémon are not tools that are programed by their master. They're sentient beings with feeling and thoughts of their own. While the general of an army is responsible for training his men properly, but the soldiers are responsible for their own actions. Sometimes, the army fails entirely because of the general, and sometimes it's entirely the soldier's fault, but most of the time, the responsibility for losing is shared by both. Don't think in absolutes and place the blame on one person every time."

Sasuke thought about her words. "So, what are you saying?"

"I am saying," Mikoto said with a smile, "that you need to re-evaluate what happened during your battle, and find out the real reason for Akodo and Bayushi's actions. If you just blame yourself, you'll never know the real reason, or fix it. A good trainer doesn't blame themselves or their Pokémon. That doesn't do any good. Instead, they seek the truth of the problem, and strive to fix it, making the bond between them and their team stronger. Do you understand, Honey?"

Slowly, Sasuke nodded his head. "Yeah…yes, I understand, Mom. Thanks!" He laughed lightly. "Okay, now I guess I need to have a talk with those two and find out what the big deal is…"

Much to his surprise, his mother grinned sheepishly. "Sasuke, have you considered that Akodo might be jealous of Bayushi?"

"Eh, why would he be jealous? Why do you even think that?"

"Well, you did say that you were shouting praises for Bayushi when Akodo shocked him," Mikoto pointed out. "Isn't it possible that Akodo wanted you to say he was doing a good job too?"

Sasuke groaned, embarrassed at how easily his mother had identified the problem.

"You said that you saved Akodo from a Luxio and risked your life doing so," she went on. "He must really admire you for doing that. Shinx are brave Pokémon with a strong sense of honor, after all; Akodo must hold you in high esteem, and really want your approval. Just imagine how it must have been for him hearing you cheering for Bayushi. Not to mention, Bayushi would be the type that would rub being the favorite into another Pokémon's face."

Sasuke's head hung low. "I suck at being a trainer!"

"That's not true, and I won't hear you say that!" Mikoto said.

"I made my Pokémon hate each other," Sasuke pointed out, "how can you excuse that?"

"You didn't make them hate each other," Mikoto laughed. "They're just upset with each other right now. And you didn't mean to show Bayushi favoritism; he's just been your pet for as long as you had him, so you're just used to doting on him. I'm sure you'll make things right between him and Akodo."

"Thanks Mom," Sasuke said softly.

"You're welcome, Sasuke," she replied with a smile. "Remember that I'm very proud of you, no matter what. Now, go train up your team so you can win your badge and tell me all about it later!"

"Yes Ma'am," he laughed.

The two said their goodbyes, and Sasuke tucked the Pokénav away.

The Center's intercom signaled that the boy's Pokémon were fully healed, so Sasuke made his way to the front, thinking about what his mother had told him.

"Greetings, Mr. Uchiha," the nurse said. Bayushi was sitting on the counter next to her, still looking upset, and Akodo's Pokéball was beside him.

"Thank you," Sasuke nodded, ruffling Bayushi's head affectionately before picking up his Shinx's ball and calling the Pokémon out.

"Shix?" Akodo squeaked, not sure what was going on.

Sasuke nodded to the nurse and left, making sure to motion for both of his Pokémon to follow, the anger they had seen earlier gone.

As the three left the center, the nurse wondered what happened to the broody little kid from before.

Once outside, Sasuke led them to a nice spot under a tree where no one else would bother them. He knelt on one knee and looked his Shinx and Eevee in the eye.

"Listen up, you two," he said calmly, but then stopped. "Wait, Togashi should be here too."

Sasuke pulled out his Charmander's Pokéball and called him out.

"Char!" Togashi sighed, stretching. He looked at Sasuke and waved, then at Akodo and Bayushi, but noticed their grim airs, and quieted down.

Sasuke nodded, and then continued. "I know we lost our first gym battle, and I was pretty angry over that, but that's not important. I'm not upset with you guys, okay?"

The three looked at each other in confusion, and then at their trainer.

"You can't win every time you fight," Sasuke went on, "we all need to understand that. If we lose we lose, and if we win, we win. That's that, and I promise never to be mad at you for losing ever again."

Bayushi squealed with delight, jumping over and hugging his trainer.

Sasuke laughed, but then noticed Akodo looking away sadly.

"Oh, come here, you!" Grinning, the boy reached over and pulled the Electric Pokémon into a tight hug. "You two, Togashi," he added when the Charmander looked at them hopefully.

"Char-char!" Togashi yelped, jumping into the group hug.

"Now listen," Sasuke said, suddenly serious, "I know I've been showing Bayushi a lot of extra attention because I've known him longer than you two."

While Bayushi tipped his head and Togashi shrugged, Akodo, strangely enough, looked down, as if ashamed.

"You don't have to be ashamed at being jealous," Sasuke insisted, setting the three down. "You're _**all**_ my Pokémon, and I shouldn't care or love one of you more than the rest. Got it?"

All three nodded, but Sasuke noticed Akodo look a bit happier.

"That doesn't mean that it was okay for you and Bayushi to fight," he pointed out. "I understand why you two did, and I'm really sorry for making you two so angry with one-another, but you can't be fighting like that. We're a team, right? We got to stick together."

Once again, his Pokémon cheered.

"So, from now on, I'll try to be a better trainer and treat you all the right way, and you'll do your best to work together, okay?" Sasuke asked with a small smile.

His team's response was to tackle him down affectionately.

"Great," the young trainer said. "Now, let's start training up for another shot at our Antidote Badge!"

0o0o0

**Back at Teal Town Gym…**

0o0o0

"I'll decide your punishment later," Iruka growled, turning away from the class. Across from him, Naruto waited, smiling big. "You ready, Naruto?"

"You bet, Professor!" the boy laughed. "This is going to be a synch!"

The teacher raised an eyebrow. "Oh really? It wasn't so easy for your friend."

Naruto shrugged. "Well, between me and you, Sasuke should have paid more attention to the team he chose. I mean, I can't believe Sasuke didn't notice how Bayushi and Akodo weren't getting along; even I could see the two hissing at each other before the match. Not to mention he used an Electric-type against your Grass Pokémon; that was pretty stupid, especially since he's got a Charmander. Besides, he lost mostly because of bad luck; if Akodo had listened, he would have beaten you. And if it was that easy for him, it's gonna be a breeze for someone like me. I mean, my Pokémon _**adore**_ me!"

Iruka scowled, offended by the boy's egocentric bragging.

"And there's the fact of who my Dad is," Naruto went on vainly. "I inherited more than his looks, you know. With his genes and my skill, becoming a Pokémon Master is practically within my reach. Besides," the boy added with a glint in his eyes, "I am your favorite student. No offence, but you probably don't have the heart to go all out with me."

While Naruto laughed, Iruka glowered, fuming at his arrogance. "If you're going to have an ego that big, then I'll just have to knock it down a few notches," the professor whispered, taking two extra shinny Pokéballs from his belt. "It's my duty as a teacher to teach you every lesson I can, even one in humility."

Iruka cleared his throat. "Are you ready to begin, Naruto?"

The boy nodded, holding up two Pokéballs. "You bet I am; Kata, Puck, come on out!"

His Riolu appeared kneeling, but as soon as Puck materialized, the Furret looked about curiously, sniffing the air before starting to wander on over towards the class.

"Hey, you're about to battle, buddy! Focus!" Naruto shouted, shaking a fist.

Puck rolled his eyes wondering what ridiculous thing his trainer was blabbing about now.

Iruka tossed his Pokéballs out before anything else could be said between the two.

"Vincentio! Isabella! Time to battle, both of you."

To very similar rabbit-like Pokémon with horns appeared. One was purple with a longer horn and ears, while the other was blush-ish with more defined whiskers. "Nido!" the two said in unison.

"What are those things?" Naruto asked, pulling out his Pokédex.

"Nidoran, the Poison Pin Pokémon," it explained. "While the two are of the same Pokémon species, the male and female Nidoran are not only different in appearance, but also in what moves they may learn and what Pokémon they evolve into. Male Nidoran's ears a large and can detect the faintest of sounds, and his horn grows much larger and stronger than the female's. Said horn can secrete a powerful poison from it that beguiles his small size. Meanwhile, a female Nidoran is very adept at using her claws and teeth to defend herself, offsetting her underdeveloped horn. Unlike the male's, the strength of a female's venom is not proportional to the size of her horn."

"Two poisonous hamsters?" Naruto laughed, tucking his dex away. "Iruka really is going easy on me."

The judge got ready, seeing the two prepared to battle. "The challenger Naruto Uzumaki of Orange Spring Village faces Prof. Iruka Umino, Leader of Teal Town Gym, blah-blah-blah, I've already done this today, and START!"

"You can make the first move, Naruto," Iruka offered generously.

_He really is letting me win_, the boy thought gleefully. "Let's start off with Quick Attack, Kata," he ordered.

"Ri-O!" Kata ran forward, and then fell into a sliding kick directed at the male Nidoran, Vincentio.

"Helping Hand, Isabella," Iruka said just as the attack was about to hit.

The female Nidoran moved fast, body glowing as she moved with automatic precision, pushing her partner out of the way, causing Naruto's Riolu to slide right on past them, much to his shock.

"Ri!?"

"Now, Peck and Scratch!" Iruka ordered.

The two Nidoran worked in unison, Isabella lashing at Kata's face while Vincentio stabbed with his horn. The Riolu raised his arms and tried to ward off the attacks with minimal success.

"No, Kata!" Naruto screamed. He looked at Puck, who was watching the Riolu being beaten while lying on his back with mild-interest. "GET UP AND HELP HIM!"

"Fur!" Puck jumped up, stuck out his tongue, and slinked over to the fight with surprising speed. Using his long tail, Puck swept Vincentio away.

"Now some Fury Swipes," Naruto cheered. "Kata, get her off you!"

Growling, Puck viciously lashed out with his little claws, driving the little Poison-type back.

Meanwhile, Isabella raised her paw for another Scratch, only for Kata to catch it in a strong hold. Heaving, he flipped the Nidoran up and over, tossing her to the side. Then he was up on his feet just as she landed with surprising grace.

"Impressive moves," Iruka commented, "you've taught him well."

"Thanks, I learned that one from Jiraiya," Naruto laughed. "Kata, get her with a Quick Attack!"

"Isabella, Double Kick," Iruka responded calmly.

The two squared off. Isabella jumped and spun, trying land a whirling set of kicks at Kata, who dodged easily and landed a punch on her.

"Good!" Naruto cheered. He looked over to Puck, who was now chasing after Vincentio, who was backing away with a scratched-up face.

"Vincentio, Poison Sting!"

Growling, the Nidoran charged through Puck's attack and jabbed him right in the stomach. However, the Furret just burst into a puff of smoke.

"What?" Iruka gasped. He and Vincentio looked around, spotting Puck standing far away, waving merrily.

"Puck can use Substitute," Naruto explained happily. "You're powerful attacks are all for moot."

"Substitute may be useful, but it takes a lot of energy," Iruka pointed out. "Let's see how much your Furret's got. Vincentio, Horn Attack!"

"Nido-RAN!" Roaring in rage, Vincentio bull rushed forward with his horn lowered. His attack hit, and once again, Puck exploded in a puff of smoke.

"Now where'd he go?" Iruka growled in irritation.

His answer was right behind Vincentio. Laughing, Puck jumped up, twirled in the air, and landed in a handstand.

"YEAAAHH!"

Shocked, Iruka and Naruto both started as the class of students cheered at Puck's pose.

Smiling, Puck jumped up from his one paw and did a backflip, landing on his tail and rocking back and forth, clapping his hands together.

Once again, a roar of approval rose up from the kids.

"Hey, you're supposed to be battling, not posing!" Naruto shouted angrily.

Sticking his tongue out at his trainer, Puck did another trick for the children. Along with the cheering cries, one student threw an apple that landed just outside of the arena.

"Fur-Fur!" Puck said, gleefully running for it.

"No Puck!" Naruto yelled in horror. "It's a trap! Don't fall for it!"

Too late. The Furret ran outside the boundaries of the field and scooped up his prize, happily taking a bite and ignoring all around him.

"Ring Out!" the referee announced, waving a flag. "Puck as left the arena and is disqualified; the challenge must continue with his one Pokémon now."

"Darn it!" Naruto hissed stomping his foot. "How could you do this to me, Puck?"

"Sorry, Naruto," Iruka sighed, "but rules are rules."

The boy grabbed his Furret's ball from his belt. "Get back in your Pokéball, you little traitor."

As Naruto seemingly called Puck back, a quiet little girl in the back decided not to tell anyone that he was under her desk, having used Substitute again. Instead, she pulled out a bag of cookies and started feeding them to him.

"Okay, it's all up to you Kata," Naruto said. "We can do this!"

However, just then, Isabella landed one successful Double Kick, followed by a second.

"Now, while he's still reeling from your attack, use Poison Sting!" Iruka shouted.

"Ni ran!" Isabella growled, japing her small horn forward. She hit the Riolu squarely in the chest, knocking him back.

"Lu…" Kata winced as he rose, feeling poison burn in his veins.

"Isabella, now a Fury Swipes."

"Use Counter!" Naruto instructed quickly.

Isabella lashed out with her claw, catching Kata on the arm. However, when she tried to strike again, the Riolu caught the attack, preparing to punch her in the gut.

"Helping Hand!"

Out of nowhere, something ran into Kata from behind, causing him to stumble back and expose himself to Isabella's onslaught.

"Good, now use a twin Beat Up beat-down!" Iruka shouted.

"Nidoran!" The two Poison-type positioned themselves so that one was on either side. Then, both turned shadowy and seemingly duplicated themselves before returning to normal. Kata looked up, he found himself surrounded by 6 Nidoran on all sides.

"Ri?"

"Kata, try another Counter!" Naruto suggested, unsure of what was going on.

"Rio," Kata nodded, preparing himself just as they rushed him. The Riolu moved deftly, grapping the first male Nidoran by the horn and shoving him into the charging female, causing both to fade into shadows. Kata jumped above the second male Nidoran, grabbing his ears to flip him into another foe, but he was hit from behind, stunning him. As he tried to recover, another attack hit his left flank, followed by a slam to his right. As each Nidoran duplicate hit him, they faded away, ending with the two originals ramming him in the front with a joint attack that sent Kata sprawling to the floor.

"Kata, try to get up!" Naruto begged.

"Ri…o..lu!" Nodding, his Pokémon slowly rose to his feet, glaring down at his twin foes defiantly. As he felt the pain from Isabella's poison, instead of wincing, the Fighting-type extended a hand and motioned for them to 'bring it.'

"I commend you and your Riolu for shear grit," Iruka admitted, "but as a trainer, you need to understand when to call it quits. Not surrendering to save pride can get your Pokémon hurt."

Naruto looked down for a moment, thinking about what his old teacher had said. It wasn't right to make Kata keep on going just because Naruto wanted to win. Sighing, he pulled out Kata's Pokéball. "You're right; Kata, return."

"Riolu!" Shocking everyone, the boy's Pokémon flipped over the beam and shouted boldly at his trainer, stamping his foot.

"What are you doing?" Naruto demanded. "We've been beat-"

"Ri-ri lu!" Kata retorted, looking back at the two Nidoran and striking his fighting stance.

"You still want to fight, even though we're going to lose?" Naruto asked in awe.

"Rio," Kata nodded, looking over his shoulder and smiling. He felt the sting of his poisoning again, but pushed it aside.

"…you're right!" Naruto looked up at his teacher, fire in his eyes. "Kata won't quick, and neither will I. So bring it on!"

Iruka nodded. "If your Pokémon wishes to continue, even against your request, then I can only say that I am proud that you wanted what was best for him, and that he wanted to win for you. Vincentio, time for your strongest attack; unleash your Drill Run! Isabella, lend him a Helping Hand!"

Vincentio leapt into the air, followed by his female partner. "Nido-"

"-Ran!" The two linked their arms and legs, spinning together as a purple aura surrounded them. They dove for the ground, their spinning becoming so rapid that they were a blur; the two drilled right through the ground, and continued onward towards Kata.

"Quick, dodge it," Naruto instructed.

However, instead of listening, his Riolu planted his two feet down firmly, and brace himself. Blue Aura energy emanated from him.

"What's going on?" Naruto asked. Hearing a pinging sound from his Pokédex, Naruto pulled it out.

"Endure," it explained. "The user focuses itself and braces for the incoming attack. By preparing both body and mind, the user is able to weather any attack, enduring the damage without fainting."

The two Nidoran burst from the ground, flying at Kata like a torpedo. However, before they hit, Kata crossed his arms and used them to shield himself.

The Riolu's body became ridged and unmoving as Vincentio and Isabella continued to drill vainly. The force of the attack was enough to cause the ground around them to crumble and push Kata back, but he did not move from his stance.

"Awesome, Kata!" Naruto cheered. "Now, while their distracted, use _**your**_ strongest attack! Force Palm!"

"Rio-" As the two Nidoran slowed down, Kata drew one hand back, Aura energy gathering in his palm. "LU!" Giving a kai shout, he punched his two foes, aura bursting with the strike.

"Ni!" The two were thrown back.

The blond boy laugh, jumping up and down. "Perfect…job?"

Much to Naruto's shock, instead of staying on the ground dazed for a few seconds, the Nidoran were up, Isabella grooming a scuff mark on Vincentio's cheek affectionately.

"What's going on?" Naruto asked. "That was a direct hit, but they're not even acting like it hurt!"

"Fighting moves aren't very effective against Poison-types," Iruka explained. "Looks like your strongest attack wasn't that strong."

"Ri…Ri…" Kata heaved weakly, holding his chest. Using Endure against their Drill Run had taken all his energy, and seeing them unaffected by his attack was utterly disheartening. But he was _not_ going to give up, no matter what. Naruto needed him to win. Calling on what little strength he had left, the Riolu started to prepare a Quick Attack.

However, just as he did, the poison in his blood flared up, sending pain throughout his body. Exhausted, injured, and spent, Kata could not take it, even with his will so strong, and he fell to the floor, vision darkening. "Ri…o…lu."

"Kata is unable to battle," the Referee decreed, "victory goes to Prof Iruka."

"Kata!" Naruto ran over to his Riolu. "Kata…I'm so sorry. I swear I'll make it up to you. You'll be at the Center in no time, buddy." He pulled out Kata's Pokéball, and returned him.

Iruka walked up to the boy, patting him on the shoulder. "He fought bravely, and tried his best for you."

"Iruka-"

"EEE!" a girl in the back of the class shrieked. "HELP!"

Naruto and Iruka looked up, and did a double take at what they saw.

Puck was atop of the girl's desk, tail securely wrapped around one of its legs, and was desperately pulling at her lunchbox, while she and two of her friends tried to tug it away from him.

"Puck! How'd you get out of your ball, and what do you think you are doing!?"

0o0o0

_**A little while later, outside…**_

0o0o0

"Naruto, wait!"

The boy skidded to a stop, turning around. "Sorry, but I wanna get Kata to the PokéCenter quick!"

"This will only take a second," Iruka reassured him. "First off, I want to say that your Riolu is well raised and very loyal to you, even if you've only been training him for little more than a week. You should be proud of him"

"Thank…you?" Naruto responded, not sure why this was so important.

"However," Iruka added coldly, "You should be ashamed of yourself."

"Huh?" Shocked, Naruto jumped back.

Iruka's face became grim. "You're behavior before our match was nothing short of embarrassing, and you'll be lucky if I don't tell your parents. Did you hear yourself bragging? You sounded like a total brat. Worse yet, you were acting like you were entitled to a win because I'm your favorite teacher and your father-" Iruka quickly looked around "-happens to be Minato Uzumaki, the former Champion."

Naruto felt his knees getting weak as Iruka scolded him, realizing that every word was true.

"Listen very carefully," Iruka continued, pointing in-between the kid's eyes for emphasis, "I don't care if who your father is, that doesn't mean anything. Your father became the greatest Champion in Konoha's history by working hard and bonding with his team. If you want to follow in his footsteps, you better be prepared to work just as hard as he did."

Now Naruto was near tears of shame. Slowly, he nodded, not trusting his voice.

The gym leader sighed. "Lastly, even if you raised your Riolu right, your Furret is out-of-control. Have you even used him in a battle before today?"

Naruto opened his mouth to respond 'yes,' but quickly closed it when he realized he hadn't. Wincing, the boy looked down. "Guess I've got some work to do…"

Iruka felt terrible scolding Naruto like this, but he had to tell him what he was doing wrong. How else would the young trainer learn anything? "Listen Naruto, we all make mistakes; Heaven knows I have. But that doesn't mean we should just give up. We succeed by realizing our mistakes and fixing them, not by not making them at all. Understand?"

Naruto nodded, but he still looked down, ashamed.

"Hey Naruto!" a familiar feminine voice called.

Iruka and Naruto whipped around, and spotted Sakura waving happily. Next to her, Hinata was smiling, holding up Rhapsody proudly, Mizuki following behind.

"Naruto, we won!" Sakura laughed, twirling on her foot girlishly. "How awesome is-" she stopped, noticing the look on Naruto's face. "W-What happened?"

0o0o0

_**To be Continued…**_


	13. Chapter 10, Part 3

**Disclaimer**

Let me just start out with the standard Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, Pokémon, or any of the associated or mentioned franchises/companies, and I am not making a profit on this.

The image I am using was made by BlissfulGold on , and I am using it with their permission. Please check out they DeviantART page sometime. 

**Review Response**

**bleach2121XX**: Okay, a vote for Sandile; glad he got some love. As for your question, Naruto acts like he would in cannon for several reasons. The first is that I'm trying to keep characters true to their characterization as possible; I tend to dislike fics that do a total overhaul of a character's personality, as I think it somewhat disrespectful to the author, and usually done for the fic-writter's idea of how someone 'should' act. I don't mind minor alterations, but changing someone into something they are not is not acceptable to me. Secondly, it was shown that Naruto's personality was largely inherited from his mother; the fact that he was now raised by her (and his father) only ensures he'd act like he would in cannon, in my eyes. However, I do appreciate your thoughts on this, and hope you keep reading.

**BioHazard82**: Thank you very much

**Amaterasuice**: Thank you for enjoying my work, and your vote is appreciated. Now, as for Sakura and Hinata's victory, one must remember why they one and why the boys lost. Both girls have been shown to be fairly good in the teamwork area, and both were far better prepared for Double Battle. Meanwhile Sasuke was originally said to have only received a low grade in teamwork at the ninja academy, while Naruto's overconfidence and outright arrogance where failing points early on. I wanted to carry these points over from the original to my fic, and also to stress just how important teamwork is in this universe.

**The Daughter of Deaths**: Yes, Waterlily may have a sweet little crush. Hahah

**Pokémon Professor Wag**: I am very glad you like my fic so far, and hope you continue to do so. A Vulpix with Rage…somewhat frightening and oddly alluring.

**Sakura240**: Thanks for your review, and your continued support.

0o0o0

Pokémon Konoha

Chapter 10

Part 3

"Don't worry," the nurse explained happily, taking the Pokéball Naruto had handed her. "You're Riolu will be just fine in about an hour."

Naruto nodded in thanks and went back to the lounge where Sakura, Iruka, and Hinata were talking.

After discovering that the girls had earned their Antidote Badges, Iruka decided to drive them over to the PokéCenter.

"Hey guys," Naruto said, "aren't you going to go get your teams healed up?"

Sakura shrugged. "I already patched up Hinata and my teams; they weren't that hurt to begin with, not to mention Waterlily's Refresh really helped out. We're going to out and have some fun with our Pokémon fist."

"Really?" Naruto asked, perplexed. "What do you mean?"

Sakura smiled. "I mean Hinata and I are going out to play around with our Pokémon. How hard is that to understand?" She smiled, and added, "Why don't you tag along?"

Naruto took a step back and looked around to make sure the girl wasn't talking to anyone else. "Who? Me?"

"Yeah, you. Come on, it will be fun," Sakura said. Since hearing his defeat against Iruka, Sakura had been notably kinder to the boy. "What else can you do?"

"I suppose I should do some training," Naruto shrugged. He had really wanted some alone time so he could think a bit.

"Please come with us," Hinata suggested shyly. In truth, the girl was worried about him. He was being very glum, even if he just lost his first Gym Battle, and Hinata was wondering if it had anything to do with what Iruka said to the boy when they were outside the gym. Even though the girls walked in on the conversation, neither had heard a word and Iruka just brushed off any questions.

Naruto looked at the girl and shrugged. "Thanks Hinata, but-"

"Hinata's right, you shouldn't be training your team anymore today," Sakura interjected.

At her friends' questioning looks, she took a step back and added, "What? Pokémon aren't just for battling you know; they need to have fun. Come on, Naruto, you know I'm right."

"That's a wonderful idea," Iruka agreed. "Personal relationships are very important to a Pokémon's abilities and growth. Besides, I think they've earned a bit of fun."

Much to everyone's relief, Naruto cracked a smile. "Yeah, you're right. Come on, let's go!"

He ran out the front door zealously…only to return a few seconds later.

"Uh…anyone know where we're going?"

Sakura laughed. The blond was turning back to normal already. "Well, for starters, Waterlily needs a new hairclip." She indicated to the spot behind Waterlily's ear that normally held a white flower. Now that flower was missing.

"What's the big deal?" Naruto asked. "Just go outside a pick a new one."

Normally, Sakura would have sighed in irritation. Today, she just said, "That flower was a hairclip. If it was real, it would have wilted in a day. Anyway, it got all grimy from Mizuki's Pokémon's Sludge attacks. She needs a new one, so I say we head out to an accessory store. Maybe you and Hinata can find something for your Pokémon, too?"

As the group headed out, Naruto and Hinata talked to each other about what their Pokémon would like, but Iruka was more interested in what Sakura had said.

"Sludge attack, you say?" the gym leader asked, perplexed, "I didn't know Beedrill could learn that. Ha-ha, it seems even a professor needs to keep an open mind."

"Beedrill? What are you talking about?" Sakura asked back. "Mr. Mizuki used his Grimer and Gulpin against us."

"Really?" Iruka said, sounding quite surprised. "That would be the first time, then. I've never seen him use anything other than his two Beedrill in a gym match."

"Oh," Sakura responded. "Are they strong?"

"Fairly, yes," Iruka answered. "In fact, I've been somewhat upset at him for using them against beginners, even when I asked him not to. It's one of the reasons I rarely let people battle him; it seemed unfair to me."

"I guess he must be listening to you now," Sakura laughed. "And I'm glad he did. Grimer and Gulpin were pretty tough anyway."

Iruka nodded, but he was too busy thinking to really pay attention. Why did Mizuki not use his strongest Pokémon against Sakura and Hinata? While it would please Iruka to no end if he was finally listening to him, Iruka couldn't see it being in the man's nature.

"Excuse me, Prof. Iruka," Naruto said, pulling his old teacher out of his thoughts, "what do you think?"

"Eh, what is it?" the man asked. "You'll have to forgive me, but I'm not sure what we're talking about.

"It's Hinata's Metapod, Waltz," Naruto explained. "He can't be used in battle, and Hinata's not sure what to do to get him to evolve. Sakura suggested we let him stay out of his Pokéball."

Iruka smiled, glad to be using his Pokémon know-how like it was meant to be used. "Well, you see," he explained, "Metapod evolve notoriously fast; it only takes a week on average for them to turn into Butterfree. However," he added, "like Sakura said, having Waltz out of his ball for a few hours every day will be healthy for him and promote growth."

"Okay, so let's pick up a carrier for him while we're at the store," Sakura suggested.

"Considering you're already carrying those eggs, hauling a Metapod around also would be cumbersome," Iruka pointed out. "I'd suggest you let Waltz out whenever you take a break or rest, and instead of carrying him around, let him sleep with you."

"Sleep with me?" Hinata asked.

"Yep," Iruka nodded. "Aside from building a strong emotional bond, letting Waltz sleep next to you would let him stay out for eight hours every day. Not to mention, you'd save money on the carrier for him."

"Good idea," Sakura commented.

"Thank you," Hinata said, "I'll do that."

"I'm glad to help," Iruka admitted bashfully.

0o0o

**Meanwhile, in the Battle Park…**

0o0o

"Keep it up, keep it up," Sasuke instructed, watching his Pokémon train closely.

Togashi and Akodo moved quickly, trying to pin Bayushi down. However, the foxy little Pokémon was proving to be too nimble for them, easily evading every attempt to catch him.

"Vee-vee-eev," Bayushi sang in singsong, wagging his tail as Akodo panted.

"Shi!" Growling in frustration, the Shinx started to build up electricity.

Bayushi hissed, arching his back.

"Hey, calm down!" Sasuke shouted, moving to stop them from fighting if he had to.

However, Togashi had already stepped in-between the two, holding up his hands and saying a few calm words.

Both Pokémon backed down, still glaring at each other.

Sighing, Sasuke sat down on the floor. "Okay guys, let's have a brake." He pulled out a bottle of water and a few bowls, so everyone could have a nice drink.

As he set up everything, Sasuke pondered all that was going on. Sure, he didn't expect Akodo and Bayushi to make up in a heartbeat, but he did hope they could stand each other for more than a few moments. Then again, he guessed they were both still feeling pretty bad about losing their first gym battle. Of course they'd blame the other for what happened. It would take a while before the wounds between the two healed. _Well_, Sasuke mused, _at least Togashi was still friends with them_.

The boy felt something brush up against his left leg, and looked down to see Akodo rubbing up to him, looking up hopefully.

"Hey there, buddy," Sasuke said, scratching behind his ears, "you're doing better. Just…try to get along with Bayushi a bit more, oaky?"

Akodo looked away, a bit cross, but nodded.

Before Sasuke could say anything else, the Eevee in question jumped into his lap and purred loudly, rubbing up and begging for attention.

Sighing, Sasuke started scratching him behind the ear with his free hand. "The same goes for you too, Bayushi. You two need to get along."

Akodo forcibly climbed up onto Sasuke's lap, shoving Bayushi down in the process.

Bayushi leapt back up and growled, to which Akodo responded in kind.

"I said get along!" Sasuke hissed aggressively. "At least try to be civil."

The boy set both of his Pokémon down on either side of him. "Bayushi," he started, looking at the Eevee crossly, "you don't need to be center of attention all the time; seeing as you're out of your Pokéball 24/7, I don't think you need to compete with the rest of my team for center stage when they come out." Sasuke turned to Akodo. "And you don't need to get aggressive when Bayushi, or anyone else, is getting attention. You know you're special, so no need to prove it, right?"

Reluctantly, both Pokémon nodded.

"Good," Sasuke said. "I don't expect you two to stop fighting overnight, or even become friends at all. However, I do demand that you stop fighting over every little thing. Stop blaming each other for what happened in the gym; we've already put that behind us. Do I make myself clear?"

Reluctantly, both Pokémon nodded, giving each other contemptuous glares.

"Now, as a sign of agreement, shake paws- and no, Akodo, you can't shock Bayushi when you do so."

Looking like they were going to be sick, the two slowly, slowly reached out their paws, quickly tapped them together, and then pulled apart.

"Good," Sasuke smiled, getting up. "Now, I expect you two to work much better now. Okay, how about we-?"

Before he could finish, two people, a boy and a girl that looked like twins, walked into the court Sasuke had rented for the day.

"Hi, I'm Jenny and this is Benny- Whao!" the girl started, swooning as she got a look at Sasuke. She smiled, waving shyly. "Uh, hi there."

"What are you doing here?" Sasuke asked coolly, ignoring the girl.

The boy, who struck Sasuke as looking like the son of a well-to-do man, snorted. "We're here the same reason you are: to train."

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "I know that, but why are you in here? Clearly, this court is already taken by me. What made you think you can train here?"

"Don't be so selfish," Benny said, causing his sister to elbow him.

"Don't be so rude," Jenny hissed quietly, looking up to smile at Sasuke.

"He's the one being rude!" Benny protested, earning another smack from her.

Reluctantly, Benny looked up and bowed in apology. "Uh, what I mean is, we asked for a battlefield, and they said that this field had someone preparing for a fight at Teal Town gym, so we thought that you'd want to double battle with us."

"I could be on your side," Jenny suggested, jumping up and down.

Sasuke looked at the two for a few moments. Then he sighed, and got up. "Sure, let's battle- I'll be by myself!" he added quickly as Jenny yelped joyfully. "Okay, Bayushi, Togashi, you guys are up first."

Jenny took one look at Bayushi and squealed with delight, like so many girls before her. "OOooh, he is so cute! You must brush him every hour to get his fur so perfect!"

However, Benny was just staring at Togashi, eyes almost fearful. "Y-You started out with a Charmander?"

"Yeah," Sasuke said dryly, getting annoyed by all the talking and no action. "You got a problem with that?"

For some reason, Sasuke saw the boy's eyes light up with absolute terror at the question.

"NO!" Benny shouted, holding his hands up. "No! I love Charmanders! I think they're totally awesome! In fact," he added, holding up a Pokéball, "I'll trade you my Starter for it, if you want. Just please don't let the Pink-haired Demon get me!"

Sasuke growled, slapping the boy across the face twice. "STOP IT, YOU LUNATIC!"

Benny shook his face, calming down. "Sorry," he said sheepishly, "I sort of was having a flashback to-"

He was cut off by Sasuke smacking him again.

"Sorry," the dark-haired boy said when Benny glared at him questioningly, "but that was for good measure. Besides, I don't really care what trauma you've been through enough to waste any more time listening to it."

Beside him, Bayushi chuckled.

Benny looked over to his sister for support. However, she just glared jealously at him.

"What are you angry about?" she hissed. Suddenly, her face became dreamy. "He _**touched**_ you! I'd have given up my prize possession to have that slap!"

0o0o0

**Meanwhile…**

0o0o0

"What do you think of this one, Waterlily?" Sakura asked brightly, clipping a pink butterfly on her Azurill.

Waterlily looked at herself in the mirror for a few seconds before scowling and shaking the clip off. "Azu!"

"Okay, that's a no," her trainer laughed, looking through the hairclips. She held up another one. "How about this one? It's a lily pad with your namesake on it."

"Zuuu," Waterlily awed as Sakura put it on her.

Meanwhile, Hinata and Naruto waited for Rhapsody to exit the small dressing room.

"Toto!" the Water-type cheered, jumping out and posing dramatically. He was dressed up in a small suit meant for Pokémon to wear, a top hat on his head and a cane in hand.

Hinata laughed and clapped her hands. "Oh, you look darling."

Naruto, however, wasn't so sure. "He looks okay, I guess, but, how's he going to battle in that?"

Both Hinata and her Pokémon realized his point, and looked down in disappointment.

"You know," Iruka said, coming up from behind, "you could always get it and just let Rhapsody wear it for special occasions."

"Maybe," Hinata mused. She picked up the price tag. "How much is this anyway?" Gasping, the girl jumped back. "Take it off Rhapsody, and be careful when you do!"

"Toto," Rhapsody sighed, sullenly slipping back into the dressing room.

"…how much was it?" Naruto wondered aloud.

"Too much," Hinata responded, "far too much. Let's look over here," Hinata suggested, pointing at the clearance section.

"You know, for a girl from a wealthy family, you've got some pretty cheap tastes," Naruto pointed out.

Hinata cringed slightly at his observation, causing Naruto to realize what he said could be considered insulting.

"I mean, you're very handy with your money," the boy added quickly, hoping that would sound right.

"Uh, thank you," Hinata replied awkwardly, understanding what he meant.

Iruka sighed, deciding to interject. "So, Naruto, why aren't you looking for anything for your Pokémon?"

Naruto shrugged. "I'm not sure what Kata would like," he admitted, "_if_ he'd want anything at all. This is more of a girl thing. It would have been better if I brought him along."

"You still have Puck," Iruka pointed out.

Naruto winced. "I-I'm not so sure I should let him out here."

"Oh, come on, Naruto," the teacher insisted. "Sure, he didn't listen to you during your fight, but you shouldn't hold that against the little guy. He won't learn to obey you if you just keep him locked up all the time."

Sighing, Naruto pulled out the Pokéball holding his Furret. "I guess you're right. Come on out, Puck."

The ball opened, releasing Puck. The Furret looked around curiously.

"Hey Puck," Naruto said. "Listen up, we're looking around here for something nice. See anything that interests you?"

The Furret tilted his head to the side, a bit confused. However, he quickly spotted something shiny, and ran over to it.

"Hey, wait for me!" Naruto cried, following his Pokémon over to a section of the story with a bunch of cheap imitation jewelry.

"Fuuuuur," Puck purred, looking over all the shiny things gleefully.

"Here," his trainer said, picking up a big golden chain with a large pendent on it, "this one's extra shiny."

Puck sniffed the chain, and then bit down on the pendent, before nodding happily. He grabbed it, and wrapped it around his neck like a boa. The Furret haphazardly made his way to a mirror, the chain's weight throwing him off-balance. "Ret," Puck said, apparently pleased with his reflection. "Ret-ret."

Meanwhile, Naruto was biting his tongue to keep from laughing. Puck looked nothing short of ridiculous with that chain on him.

Nodding, the Furret quickly whipped around and started walking back to his trainer with his treasure. However, the sudden movement caused the heavy chain to shift around, displacing all the weight onto one side of Puck's neck. Now completely thrown off balance, Naruto's Pokémon fell off the counter and to the floor below. "Reeeeeeet!"

**Crash!**

Before Naruto could help him, Puck had already gotten back up and had thrown the nasty, evil, stinky, ugly piece of trash off him, and was now hissing at it.

"Okay, I guess that's a no," Naruto laughed, pulling Puck away.

"Young man," a stern voice said.

Naruto turned to see a woman with big purple hair all up in a bun, wearing gaudy, jeweled-rimmed glasses, with obviously fake nails pained neon pink.

"Young man," the woman repeated, "Keep that beast under control, or you'll be forced to leave the store. Understand?"

Naruto rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah, I get it."

Giving a loud cough that sounded something like, "brat," the woman stalked off.

Scowling, Naruto and Puck blew raspberries at her back.

"Sheesh, for someone who dresses so tacky, she sure is a snob," Naruto spat, setting Puck down. "Come on, let's look at something else."

Puck nodded happily, but as his owner turned to look though more of the shiny stuff, the Furret spotted something far more interesting: a fly!

Licking his lips, Puck fell to his knees and crawled toward his prey. He waited for the opportune moment…and pounced!

Laughing at his success, Puck lifted his paw to have a look at his prize, only to find it empty! Cursing, Puck looked around, and spotted the little insect buzzing around up high just above a tall glass case. Cackling, Puck sneaked over to the case, looked left and right, and then climbed up it.

"What do you think of these?" Naruto asked, holding up an orange collar with a bell dangling from it and a bouncy yellow ball. However, his Pokémon was not in sight.

"Puck?" Naruto asked, looking around. "Where'd you go, buddy?"

The boy found him standing up on a glass case, batting at a fly that was flying just out of his reach.

"Hey, get down from there!" Naruto commanded, moving over to the case.

However, at that moment, the fly had zipped down and landed right on top of the snobby-saleswoman's big hair. Grinning that he finally had his prey cornered, Puck scrunched up, and wriggled his rear as he prepared to dive for it.

"Puck, don't-!"

Too late. The Furret leapt after the fly, giving a hunting cry as he flew. "FUUUUUUUR!"

"What the-?" the saleswoman said, turning around just in time to see the Furret flying at her face.

"AAHHHHG!"

0o0o0

**A few confused moments later, outside the store…**

0o0o0

"She didn't have to kick us all out like that," Sakura growled angrily, glaring back at the store.

"Zu-zu!" Waterlily added, sticking out her tongue.

"Puck knocked off the woman's wig," Iruka pointed out. "We're lucky that's all she did." Sighing, he wondered if disaster followed Puck wherever he went.

Naruto was now doubled over from laughing so hard. Breathing in, the boy managed to get up. "_I know!_ Did you see the look on her face as Puck was flying at her? _Priceless!_"

"Naruto, there were cameras in there!" Iruka said sternly. "What if the woman decided to send it to your parents?"

"Would they?" the blond asked eagerly. "Oh man, that'd be great to have on video! I wonder if we can send it in to Konoha's Funniest Home Videos?"

"You're failing to see the point, Naruto!" Iruka hissed.

"You have to admit," Sakura said quickly, stepping in-between the two, "that was pretty funny."

"Yeah," Naruto cheered, "especially when Puck pulled off her wig. Speaking of which…" The boy pointed at his Furret, who was at that moment wrestling with the tacky wig, desperately trying to kill it. The woman had been in such a rush to throw them out of the store, she had failed to retrieve it.

Iruka smiled slightly. "Okay, I admit, that's pretty funny. However Naruto, you need to find a way to curve Puck's bad behavior before he gets into some real trouble."

"Oh no!" Hinata suddenly cried, putting her hands over her mouth.

"What is it?" Naruto asked, jumping up.

"We didn't pay for anything!" Hinata gasped, pointing at the new lilypad clip behind Waterlily's hair and the collar and ball Naruto was still holding.

Sakura looked at the stuff they still had, and chuckled. "Well, what do you know? That woman pushed us out without even making sure we paid for anything."

"Cool," Naruto laughed.

"We need to pay for that," Hinata insisted, grabbing Naruto's hand to pull him back into the store.

However, she hadn't even gotten to the door yet when the saleswoman told her to go away and never come back through the window.

"B-But," Hinata stuttered.

"Let it go," Iruka said, grabbing her shoulder. "We were the ones kicked out without being allowed to pay, and she did say not to come back. It's not our fault they don't want us to pay for any of it."

Naruto laughed, wondering why his teacher was being so mischievous.

"Come on," Iruka called, walking off and motioning for them to follow. "Let's get something to eat. There's a Typhlosion's Grilled Burgers nearby, and they offer a discount for Teal Town's Gym Leader." He laughed. "Being famous can have its perks."

"Thank you very much, Prof. Iruka," Sakura said, "just a moment." She put Waterlily down, and retrieved the egg case from over her shoulder. She looked the precious lavender egg over, making sure it was unharmed. Smiling, the girl looked over at Hinata, who had followed suit.

"So, is Junior 1 & 2 okay?" Naruto asked, looking first over Sakura's then Hinata's shoulder.

"Yes, Naruto," Sakura sighed. She notice that Puck was still fighting with the wig (and somehow looked like he was losing). "You should really consider returning him."

"Just a second," the boy said, calling his Furret over. He picked up the belled collar and started slipping it on. "Let's see if this fits."

Naruto stepped back, admiring his work. Puck looked at his new collar, wondering what it was for. He poked the bell, which chimed. Shocked, Puck did it again…and again, and again, and again.

"Fur-fur?" Puck finally asked, looking up at his trainer.

"It looks good on you," Naruto said fairly, nodding.

Sakura smiled. "Well, now he's going to have a hard time sneaking away."

"Furrrr," Puck growled, flipping onto his back and trying to get the contraption off.

"Nice try," the blond boy said, pulling out Puck's ball and returning the Pokémon.

"Oh, and before we forget, we should invite Sasuke to dinner, too," Hinata pointed out.

Sakura shrugged. "I guess you're right." She pulled out her Pokénav and sent a text to Naruto's nav, knowing that Sasuke had it at the moment.

"Hey, what's keeping you guys?" Iruka called playfully.

0o0o0

**Meanwhile, outside the Battle Park…**

0o0o0

"Well," Sasuke mused, looking down at Bayushi, "you and Akodo were able to work together in that last battle. At least we got that far."

"Vee," Bayushi responded casually, not looking up.

The dark-haired boy sighed, somewhat confused. Normally, Bayushi would be atop his shoulder, but now it was like the Eevee was avoiding him.

"Something wrong, buddy?" Sasuke asked as they walked along.

Much to his disappointment, instead of responding, Bayushi stuck his nose up and continued walking.

"Great," the boy growled, wondering what was wrong now. However, before he could further question the situation, Naruto's Pokénav gave a buzzing ring.

Betting that it was the rest of the team, wondering where he was, Sasuke pulled the device out, realizing he should have left a note or something.

It was a text message from Sakura, stating, 'We're going to eat with Prof. Iruka; you can come along if you want. It's the Typhlosion's Grilled Burgers on Ferngrow Street.

'P.S. Naruto lost his Gym Battle, so try to be nice if you know how.'

Sasuke read the message aloud for Bayushi, though the Eevee didn't seem to be paying attention. Afterwards, Sasuke noticed Sakura didn't mention anything about Hinata and her gym battle.

"I wonder how the girls did," Sasuke mused, looking at Bayushi for his opinion, who only stayed silent. Sighing, the boy tucked the Pokénav away. "Just great; now I've got two people angry with me. Heck, at least I know why Sakura would be mad." He winced, remembering the less than kind words he shouted at her.

"I really shouldn't have said that to her," Sasuke admitted.

"Vee," Bayushi agreed, much to Sasuke's surprise.

The boy glared at the Eevee slightly. "Oh, so now you're on her side?"

Bayushi nodded curtly, sticking out his tongue.

"Haha," Sasuke laughed bitterly. "Listen, can't you at least explain why you're upset with me?"

The Eevee looked up at his owner for a few moments. "Vee-vee eevee eev, Vee-ee," Bayushi said passionately, smiling smugly at the end.

Growling, Sasuke slapped his face. "Right, you can't." Rolling his eyes, Sasuke thought for a while. "Is it…something I did?"

Bayushi pondered for a moment, then nodded.

The boy smiled, glad they were getting somewhere. "Okay, uh, is it something I did while we were training? Was I working you too hard or something?"

Bayushi quickly shook his head 'no.'

Sasuke scratched his chin, thinking. "Is it something to do with Akodo?"

Bayushi sort of nodded, but Sasuke felt the answer was off a bit.

"Come on, Bayushi," the Eevee's trainer begged, "I told you, you can't always be the center of attention all the time-"

"Vee!" Bayushi hissed, making it clear that wasn't the problem.

Rubbing the back of his head, Sasuke thought for a moment. "If it isn't that, then what is it?"

Bayushi looked up at him with big eyes, his ears held low, whimpering lowly.

After a while, Sasuke got it. "Do you think that you're being replaced or something?"

"Eevee," Bayushi nodded.

Sasuke almost laughed. "Come on, Bayushi, don't be silly. Of course I'm not going to replace you."

"Veeeeeee," Bayushi hissed accusingly, nodding at Akodo's ball.

"Listen," Sasuke said, picking Bayushi up and putting him on his shoulder, "Togashi and Akodo are my Pokémon now, so you have to understand that they're going to be special to me. All of them are going to be. But, that doesn't mean you're not going to be special anymore." He scratched the Eevee behind the ear. "In fact, it kind of makes you even more special."

Bayushi tilted his head questioningly. "Eevee?"

"Sure," Sasuke continued, "think about it: you're the veteran of the team. You've been my Pokémon longer than anyone else. That means you've got be the one to help any Pokémon I catch understands what it means to be on my team."

The Eevee cooed bashfully.

"That's not to say that you're more special than Akodo, or Togashi, or anyone else," Sasuke added. "It just means you special in your own way. Bayushi, to me, you're more than just the first Pokémon I owned. It's hard to explain, but you're very special to me. I'm not going to treat you better than the rest of my team because of that, but you know that you'll always be my partner and my friend. I promise. So you don't have to worry about that ever again."

"Vee-vee!" Bayushi cheered, rubbing up close to his trainer.

"Hahah," Sasuke laughed lightly, feeling much better. "Glad to have you back. Now, let's go eat."

"Vee," Bayushi growled, jumping down and stopping in front of the boy.

"Eh? Did I forget something?" Sasuke wondered what it was.

First, Bayushi pantomimed growling and yelling at someone, and then, he pretended to be crying and sad.

"…Oh right!" Sasuke said, slapping himself on the forehead. "I forgot about Sakura. I need to apologize for that; but how?"

"Eevee!" Bayushi cried, pointing.

Sasuke looked at what Bayushi meant, and smiled. "That could work."

0o0o0

**Outside Typhlosion's Grilled Burgers…**

0o0o

"Hmm, 'There's Flavor, and then there's a Typhlosion of Flavor,'" Naruto read the restaurant's catchphrase aloud. He sniffed the air. "Oooh, if that's what a Typhlosion of Flavor smells like, I can't wait to find out what it tastes like!"

"You've never been to TGB?" Sakura asked. "That's hard to imagine; they're a chain restaurant, and a pretty successful one, too."

"My hometown's pretty small," Naruto admitted. "My dad's taken the family to lots of different places on trips so he can train, so we've been around, but we've never gone to this fast-fooder. Kinda funny if you think about it."

"I see," Sakura nodded, noting that she now knew Naruto's father traveled around a lot, and could afford to bring along his family. So, the man was probably wealthy. She was going to put the pieces of this the puzzle together yet. Sakura opened her mouth to ask Naruto what exactly his dad did, but Iruka spoke up first.

"I wonder what's taking Sasuke so long?"

"Do you think something happened to him?" Hinata asked, twiddling her fingers nervously.

Sakura snorted disdainfully. "He's probably off somewhere still sulking."

Naruto sighed. "Don't you think you're being a bit bitter?" the boy asked, moving next to her.

"He told me that he didn't even want me around in the first place," Sakura growled. "He said that to me for trying to comfort him! I _saved his life_, and he acts like I'm baggage! _**Unwanted**_ baggage!"

"Okay, I admit, he was being a jerk," Naruto said, "I'll give you that. But really, think about it from his point of view, please? Sasuke's got a…strained relationship with his dad, so he's always wanted to prove himself worthy, and doing it on his own is important to him. Losing like that must have really hit Sasuke hard."

"So that justifies him treating a friend like trash?" Sakura asked harshly.

"No it doesn't," Naruto admitted, "nothing justifies that. But it does _explain_ his actions. Come on Sakura, you're smart. You should know holding one action committed in anger against someone is pretty unfair."

Sakura sighed, looking away. "I'm not going to budge an inch," she insisted. "If Sasuke wants my forgiveness, he needs to be sorry, first. Sasuke needs to apologize, not you. And not because you told him to," the girl added, the menace in her voice overwhelming.

Gulping, Naruto decided to just drop the subject.

"Maybe we should just order our food?" Iruka suggested carefully. "Then we can eat right when Sasuke gets here."

"Hey, check it out!" Naruto interjected, pointing down the street.

Three musicians were setting up on a corner; one girl and two guys. All were dressed up in overly-frilly, Victorian costumes, complete with opera masks.

"Come on," The blond said, running over, "we gotta check this out!"

Hinata smiled and walked after him, glad the boy was being jovial. She wondered if Naruto had a love of music or was he just excited to see a performance.

"Oh, why not?" Iruka sighed, following, along with Sakura.

The girl was gently playing the keytar, a keyboard in the shape of a guitar. Meanwhile, the taller of the boys was strumming out a tune on his guitar, tapping his foot in time to the rhythm. The other boy, who was wearing a high-collared jacket and a tricorn hat along with his mask, was playing a very unusual intersegment; it was a steel drum shaped like a Torkoal. His hands glided about it lightly, striking at the dents set around the drum's top, causing it to release a number of various bell-like sounds. The three's music blended together harmoniously as they played, creating a gentle, slow song. Set in the center of the group was a radio playing weird violin music that was very off from the rest of the composition.

Even so, Naruto felt himself getting sleepy just listening to their lullaby. "They've got some relaxing tunes," he remarked, looking at his friends.

Sakura's eyes were half opened while the Azurill in her arms just nodded off. Hinata's shoulders slouched down as her body became heavy with sleep, and the boy could tell that Iruka was biting his tongue to stay awake.

"So, what do you think of our little ditty, Sakura?" the girl musician asked, smiling.

"It's really soothing," Sakura said calmly, forcing herself to stand up straight in fear she would just collapse while talking. "That drum he's playing-" Sakura pointed at the tricorn hatted boy, "-I've never seen one. What is it called?"

"It's a hang," the boy explained proudly, "they're pretty rare; their makers only sell them at special events and concerts. I had to camp out in a line for 4 days just for a chance at one."

Naruto laughed sleepily. "Whoa, you must really love your music to- wait!" Something in the back of the boy's mind clicked. He pointed at the girl. "How'd you know Sakura's name!?"

The three stopped playing. Now, the only sound was the strange violin music in the background.

"Well?" Naruto demanded.

"You just had to say her name, didn't you Kin?" the taller boy asked, his fingers playing some dramatic notes.

"What's the fun of winning if you can't gloat?" the girl reasoned smugly.

"Well, since we've been caught, there's no need for masks," the tircorn-hatted boy said. "Let's lose these disguises and get to business."

In a blur of movement, the trio pulled off their costumes, and there stood the three kid members of the Snake Clan.

"What?!" Sakura shrieked, jumping back. "You again? How'd you even get out of jail!?"

Chuckling, the three started playing a harsher tune.

"Allow us to introduce ourselves," Dosu laughed, and with that, the three jumped into song:

_Listen up, and listen well,_

_To the tale we have to tell,_

_Our notes are harsh and our coils are winding_

_Around you they wrap completely binding,_

_Fall to your knees as we rock all Nations,_

_Fillin' People's hearts with our black sensations_

_Our hearts are pumpin', our entrance is grand,_

_Live from the Snake Clan, we're making a Stand,_

_Dosu,_

_Zaku,_

_And Kin!_

_We're the Sound Trio, stealing the spotlight!_

_So surrender now, or prepare to fight! _

!

The three ended their song like it was a rock-concert, playing a few finishing notes and striking poses. "Ehhhhaa!"

For a few moments, everyone just stared at the three blankly, the only sound being the violin music playing from the radio.

Then Naruto started to clap, but quickly stopped at Sakura's glare. "What?" he asked defensively. "You gotta admit, that was pretty cool."

"They're common criminals!" Sakura growled, pointing.

"Who you calling 'common,' Pinky?" Kin demanded.

"Yeah," Dosu added, "how many criminals have a motto complete with music?"

"We're _**spectacular**_ criminals!" Zaku insisted.

"More like idiotic ones!" Iruka said angrily, grapping two Pokéballs from his belt. "You might as well have shouted for the police to come and get you!" He was about to call out his two Nidoran, when he noticed the strange music still playing in the background. "And turn off that radio!"

For some reason, the trio smiled and looked at each other. "Turn it off?" Dosu asked, picking the radio up and twirling its plug around in the air. "But it's not even plugged in."

"Then what's making that music?" Hinata asked.

Smiling, Dosu stepped to the side, revealing his Kricketune; the Pokémon was rubbing his scythes together, creating a violin-like sound. "That 'music' is just Octave's Sing attack. Doesn't it sound classy?"

"Sing?" Iruka gasped, realizing they had been listening to it for this entire time. "No! Vincentio, Isabella! Come ou-" Before he could finish, the professor slumped forward, his body unwilling drifting off to sleep. Just as he went off to dreamland, Iruka saw Sakura and Hinata fall down under the Sing attack's spell.

"Hey, wake up," Naruto yawned, unable to resist as he fell backward, "we can't let them win..." The boy had nodded off, giving a loud snore.

"Hahah! Good work, Octave," Dosu laughed, patting his Pokémon affectionately, "your attack got them all."

"I would have been happy if he just got the gym leader," Kin admitted, looming over the heroes' sleeping forms. "Now, we don't even have to fight them at all. Why didn't we think of this sooner?"

"If memory serves correct," Zaku pointed out cruelly, "last time we were following your plan. You know, the one that got us arrested?"

"Shut up!" Kin hissed defensively.

"Shhhhh!" Dosu whispered, stepping between the two and slapping his hands over their mouths. "Quiet! Stop your pointless squabbling; we don't have all night."

The two nodded in apology.

"Good thing we didn't wake them up, right?" Zaku said.

"Don't be stupid; it would take an explosion to wake them up from Octave's Sing," Kin pointed out.

"Now," Dosu cut in, "let's grab the eggs and get out of here before the cops show up."

0o0o0

**At that exact moment….**

0o0o0

"You sure Sakura won't take this the wrong way?" Sasuke asked, looking down at the peace-offering he and Bayushi had picked out. "Don't guys usually buy these to say sorry to their girlfriends?"

"Eevee!" Bayushi insisted from his perch atop the boy's shoulder. Suddenly, the little Pokémon's ears shot strait up, twitching. Growling, the Eevee leapt down and bolted to the corner.

"What's up?" Sasuke asked, following close behind. He stopped before rounding the corner, instead peering around it, as Bayushi was.

What Sasuke saw made him gasp.

The three Snake Clan members were standing over Naruto, Hinata, Sakura, and Iruka's slumbering forms. The ones he thought were called Zaku and Kin were holding the cases containing Sakura's eggs, while their leader, Dosu, was packing away what looked like instruments away into a carrying case.

"What did they do to them?" Sasuke asked, looking at the prone forms of his friends.

"Eev," Bayushi whispered, his ears held down flat as he pointed at the Kricketune in the background. Sasuke noticed how the Bug-type was rubbing his blades together to make music.

"A Sing attack," the boy hissed, sneaking back around the corner. He grabbed the Pokéballs at his belt. "We'll have to fix that. Togashi, Akodo, come out, and be quiet."

The two appeared silently, looking up at their trainer mystified.

"Look," Sasuke instructed, carefully peeking around the corner, "you see that Kricketune over there? Remember him from before?"

"Mander," Togashi nodded, his tail-flame blazing slightly.

"All of you need to take him out as fast as you can," Sasuke commanded, "because as soon as we attack, they're coming for us. Then, go after the humans, especially the ones holding the eggs. Stop them from grabbing their Pokéballs, but don't knock them over, or the eggs might get hurt," he explained, picking up a fallen branch, holding it like a club, "I'll run in and try to steal them back. Got it?"

The three Pokémon nodded.

"Good, now go!"

0o0o0

"The Boss is going to be so proud of us!" Zaku cheered, caressing the egg case he was carrying.

"We'll get promotions for sure!" Kin added.

Dosu nodded, content that his team had performed so well. "I'm sure we will. Now, let's get out of here before-"

"CHARMANDER!"

Darts of fire flew past the trio, hitting Octave squarely in the face. "T-Tune!?" the Bug-type stammered, his Sing attack ruined as his concentration was broken.

"EEVEE!"

Before the Kricketune could recover, a blur of white slammed into his gut, sending him sprawling on the floor.

"SHINX!"

Octave felt something heavy on his chest. Opening his eyes, the Kricketune was greeted by an Electric lion-cub sparking up. Akodo unleashed a Spark that he had Charged up, electrocuting the poor Bug-type.

ZAP!

"Kricke…" Octave sighed, losing consciousness.

"What's going on?!" Dosu shouted.

A Charmander, Shinx, and a white Eevee were now standing before them, growling with anger.

"Hey! That's the white Eevee from yesterday," Zaku gasped, "the one owned by the brat! Where's your owner?"

"Here!" a voice behind him shouted.

Zaku whipped around just in time to see a club being swung at him. "Oh no-"

BAM!

As Zaku fell over, eyes seeing stars, Sasuke pulled the egg case containing the yellow egg away from him, dropping his now-broken club.

"I'll take that," Sasuke grinned.

"No! We will!" Dosu and Kin both reached toward their belts. However, before they could grab a ball, Bayushi bit down on Kin's hair, pulling hard, while Akodo leapt onto Dosu's back, releasing charge after charge of electricity. "AHHHGG!"

"Stop, stop!" the girl begged, her back arched as Bayushi tugged at her long locks, practically dragging her backwards. "Get him off me, Dosu!"

However, the boy couldn't hear her as he fell to the ground and rolled around, trying to knock Sasuke's Shinx off. Unfortunately, he rolled right into Kin, tripping her over.

"Ahh!" the girl screamed. In her panic, she threw the egg case.

"NO!" Sasuke shouted; he dove, his arm outstretched. Miraculously, the boy caught it.

Getting to his feet, Sasuke saw Akodo, Kin, Bayushi, and Dosu all in a tangled, chaotic mess. Sparks flew, teeth bit, and people screamed.

"Go boys, go!" Sasuke cheered. "Take them out!"

"I'll take _you_ out!"

Sasuke spun around in shock. Zaku had regained his senses, and was now pulling a Pokéball from his belt. "Boombox, hurt him!"

His Voltorb was released from the ball sparking. "Vol-!" Boombox uttered, powering up. "-torb!"

However, before he could unleash a bolt, Togashi flew out of nowhere, Scratching the Ball Pokémon across the face. "Char!" the Fire-type growled, Scratching again.

"Keep it up!" Sasuke shouted, moving away. He had to get Sakura's eggs away from here, and find a way to wake-up the others.

However, out of the corner of his eye, a Pokéball flashed open, and Kin's Chimecho appeared.

"Decibel, help me!" the girl cried, trying to shove a very vicious Eevee off her.

"Don't use any sound-based attacks! You'll wake everyone up!" Dosu warned. Grimacing, he reached about his shoulders and grabbed Akodo, who was clawing his back, and slammed the Shinx into a wall. The Electric-type yelped in pain, responding with a shocking bolt, but it was much smaller than before.

Sasuke swore hatefully. It wouldn't be long before Dosu would call out whatever other Pokémon he had, and from the looks of it, Sasuke's team couldn't take much more; they were already tired from training all day.

Sasuke looked at his sleeping friends desperately. He needed their help! But how could he-? Then Sasuke realized what Dosu said: using sound attacks would wake them up.

"Togashi! Listen to me!" Sasuke shouted. "You need to wake up Waterlily with Ember!"

"Char-mander!" the Fire Pokémon responded stiffly; his Voltorb foe had hit him with a powerful shock.

Growling, Togashi whipped around, swinging his burning tail into Boombox's face just as he used Thunderbolt. Grimacing against the Electric attack, Togashi breathed in, and instead of blowing on his tail's flame, fired several burning darts strait from his mouth this time!

"Char!"

The Ember attack flew true, hitting the sleeping Waterlily's tail, forcefully rousing her from her slumber.

"**WHHAAAAA!"** Just as Sasuke predicted, the painful awakening caused the Baby Pokémon started screaming an Uproar attack.

"Don't Shoot!" Naruto gasped, flipping up in a panic.

"**WHAAAA!"**

"Waterlily!" Sakura stammered, rocking her baby. "What happened?"

"She saved the day, that's what!" Sasuke shouted. He pointed at the Sound Trio, who were in a panic. "Look, it's the bad guys! They're attacking my Pokémon! Help them!"

"Gladly," Iruka growled, picking up the two Pokéball from before. "Vincentio, Isabella, attack with Beat Up!"

The two Nidoran materialized. "Ran nido!" The two moved, creating a ring of duplicates that surrounded the Sound Trio.

"Oh shoot!" Zaku gasped, backing away as the ring of Poisonous rabbit-like creatures closed around them.

"Surrender yourselves!" Iruka ordered, stepping forward.

Behind him, Sasuke called his Pokémon back to his side, not wanting them to be in the way. They had been through enough already.

"And then what?" Dosu demanded, glaring at the gym leader. "You'll let us go? No, we'd be sent back to the slammer!"

"And if you resist, I'll bring you in by force," Iruka pointed out coldly. "Either way you lose; but at least you won't be in pain if you just give up. And believe me," the man hissed, "I have no problem using more force than I have to; on both your Pokémon **and** you."

The three were now back-to-back, Boombox and Decibel growling at the gang of Nidoran surrounding them.

Dosu eyed the little army of poisonous, toothy, horned foes. Being mobbed by them would be very painful, to say the least. "Well guys?" he asked, looking over his shoulder at his teammates, "is this our final performance?"

"Ahaha," Zaku laughed nervously, taking out a Pokéball. "I say we end it with a curtain call."

He called back Boombox and put his hands behind his head. Slowly, Dosu did the same, calling back Octave, who had been forgotten in the panic.

"You too," Iruka order firmly, pointing at Kin.

Sighing, she slowly reached for Decibel's ball. However just as she was about to grab it, her face broke into a smile.

"Get them now!" Iruka ordered, realizing what was happening.

The two boys quickly grabbed onto Kin, who in turn gripped Decibel's ribbon tail tightly. "Teleport!"

The group glowed white for a split second, and a moment later, they disappeared in a flash of light just as the Nidoran lunged for them.

"Nido?" one male gasped in confusion, looking around. The clones faded away, leaving only Vincentio and Isabella remaining.

"Someone, call the police!" Iruka shouted. "We need to find them!"

As the adults scrambled around, Sasuke slowly walked over to his friends, still holding the egg cases.

"Here are your eggs," he offered bashfully, looking at Sakura, "I kinda saved them."

Sakura smiled taking the case with the lavender egg. "You didn't 'kinda' do anything; you saved the day."

Sasuke smiled; looks like everything was back to normal.

However, next to the girl, Waterlily was jumping up and down angrily. "Zu! Azu!" she protested.

"What's wrong, baby?" Sakura asked.

"Zu!" the Azurill growled, indicating to her tail; there were several burn marks on it.

"Where did you get those?"

"Ehehe…" Sasuke chucked nervously.

0o0o0

**Later, in the PokéCenter…**

0o0o0

"I still can't believe you attacked Waterlily," Sakura said for the umpteenth time. She and Sasuke were in his room, their Pokémon having been turned in to the nurse for a night of well-earned rest.

"Oh, come on!" Sasuke begged, "You know I had to! What else could I have done?"

Sakura crossed her arms and thought for a moment. "I suppose you're right," she admitted, "but I'm still mad at you!"

"For what?" Sasuke demanded.

"For what you said earlier," Sakura explained. "You don't think I would have forgotten that quickly, do you?" In truth, Sakura had decided Sasuke's heroism more than made up for him being a jerk, but she really wanted to see his reaction.

Much to her surprise, the boy hung his head low instead of stand up for himself. "You're right, I was being a jerk," Sasuke said. "I was being a really big, bratty jerk. But I've got something for you to say I'm sorry! It's right…right….where'd I put it?"

While Sakura wondered what he was talking about, Sasuke looked around.

"Where's your grift?" he finally asked. Then his eyes widened. "Where's my backpack!?" Franticly, Sasuke scanned the room, thinking of where he last left it. "Shoot! I must have taken it off when I was getting ready to take those Sound Freaks!" Sasuke ran right out the door. "I'll be right back!"

Rushing down the hall, Sasuke rounded the turn and headed for the door. "Nobody better try and steal my pack!" he growled.

"Hey, no running in the Center!" a nurse called. She then added, "Oh, and you're Sasuke Uchiha, right?"

"Yeah, but I'm in hurry," Sasuke said, "I left my-"

"Backpack behind?" the woman asked, holding it up. "Prof. Iruka came by, saying the police found it near the crime scene; good thing it had your name on it."

After Sasuke retrieved his pack, she added, "They also found this." The Nurse held up a bouquet of sunflowers. "Don't these symbolize puppy love?" she asked playfully.

"They mean appreciation, gratitude, and _**pure**_ thoughts," Sasuke retorted defensively, repeating what the salesgirl had told him.

He snatched the flowers away, thanked the woman, and quickly returned to his room, hiding them behind his back as he entered.

"That was quick," Sakura said, surprised. She noticed the boy holding something behind his back with a nervous look on his face. "What are you hiding?"

Sasuke swallowed. He _really_ hoped these things didn't symbolize puppy love. "Here!" he near-shouted, holding the bouquet out and closing his eyes. "I'm really, really sorry! Please forgive me!"

For a few moments, Sakura stared blankly. Then her eyes got a little watery. "Ahhhh…"

The girl jumped over and glomped Sasuke, causing him to cry out in protest, "_Hey, who said anything about touching? Just take the stupid flowers and let me go!_"

0o0o0

**Elsewhere…**

0o0o0

"According to the police, the Sound Trio was bailed out by some fancy-lawyer," Iruka explained to Naruto. The two were sitting on a bench behind PokéCenter. "When the police called 'his' law firm, they claimed to have never heard the man's name. Obviously, he was a fake."

"Well, he must have been really stupid to bail those three out," Naruto retorted, arms crossed, "they're losers."

"Those losers nearly succeeded in stealing Sakura's eggs," Iruka pointed out firmly. "Not to mention we were all at their mercy."

"They got lucky," the boy shrugged.

"Naruto, this is serious," Iruka said. "I don't want to tell you what to do, but you've got to at least realize how serious the situation is. That's twice now the Sound Trio's tried to steal those eggs, and three times you've brushed heads with the Snake Clan."

Naruto looked the man in the eye. "What are you getting at?"

The professor sighed. "I'm saying you and your friends should think about what to do next. I'm not going to tell you to do anything, but at least talk to them about what I've said."

The boy looked down; Iruka did have a point…they really were in danger.

"Hey you two," someone called.

Iruka looked up to see Mizuki walking forward, smiling. "I was just in the neighborhood when I heard the news, so I decided to stop on by."

"How thoughtful of you," Iruka responded. He got up and cleared his throat. "Well, I better get going. I've got a pile of tests I need to grade before morning. Good night, Naruto."

"Good night," the boy sighed, barely noticing the man walk away.

As soon as the gym leader was out of sight, a dark grin spread across Mizuki's face; before the boy could get up, the man sat down next to him. "It's been a rough day for you, hasn't it?"

"I guess," Naruto admitted, looking away, "but hey, so was everyone else's, right?"

"You could say that, but then again, at least your friends got a fair chance at their Antidote Badges," Mizuki pointed out. "None of them had to fight Iruka's strongest duo, after all."

At this, Naruto's head sprang up. "Those two are this strongest Pokémon?" Naruto thought they were tough, but not impossible to defeat.

"Yep," Mizuki shrugged, "apparently, he wanted to beat you so you'd learn a lesson; he really does like acting like a parent, doesn't he?"

"Well, it was a lesson I needed to learn, anyway," Naruto responded stiffly.

Mizuki's face saddened. "I guess you're right. But, it just doesn't seem fair to me that you've only started your journey, and you're gonna have to end it so soon."

The boy was so shocked by this that he fell off the bench. "What!?" he shouted from the floor.

"Iruka said he was going to call your parents and ask them to take you home," Mizuki explained. "After all that's happened, and with the Snake Clan chasing you, he feels that maybe you'd be safer there. And considering that your father got Iruka his job here, I'm guessing he must really respect him and his opinion."

"That's not fair!" Naruto yelled, jumping to his feet. "I'm a Pokémon Trainer now, not a baby! I can handle myself just fine!"

"I understand," Mizuki said sympathetically, "but Iruka can't see that. To him, you're still his little student. That's why I want to help you out."

"What are you talking about?" Naruto asked

The man looked left to right, making sure no one was around to hear him. Satisfied, he leaned in and whispered, "The Snake Clan is after your friend Sakura's eggs, right? That's why they keep chasing you."

The boy nodded.

"Well, if you don't have any eggs around, that Sound Trio group won't have reason to follow you, right?"

"I'm not getting rid of Sakura's eggs!" Naruto protested, putting his hands to his hips.

"You don't have to," Mizuki reassured him. "You just need to get them to hatch; once they do, you can put the cute little babies in Pokéballs, and boom, you guys aren't carrying around special eggs anymore. Sound's simple, doesn't it?"

"I guess," Naruto said slowly, "but how can you make eggs hatch early?"

The man smiled. "Listen carefully, because this is a secret not even Iruka knows. In the woods just north of Teal Town, you'll find a small pond with a shrine on a rock at its center. If you place a Pokémon's egg in the shrine at midnight, it will hatch as the moon's light touches it."

"No way," Naruto said in disbelief. "That sounds like magic from a fairytale."

"If you don't believe me, I guess I can't help you," Mizuki sighed. He got up and started walking away. But after taking a few steps, he added, "I just wanted to help you continue your adventure…"

He left, and Naruto was alone in the night.

0o0o0

**11:00 PM…**

0o0o0

Someone opened the door to the girl's room slowly, careful not to make a sound. After that, he waited a moment, listening to the breathing of the room's occupants carefully. Once he was sure he hadn't woken them, the person crept inside, being sure not to make a sound.

The moonlight coming in through the window revealed the sneak to be Naruto. He looked around, and his heart leapt when he spotted the two eggs in their cases behind Sakura's nightstand. The boy had thought for sure she'd have both of them under the covers with her. Suppressing a yelp of joy, Naruto carefully made his way over to the nightstand. Moving with all the subtly he could, the boy slowly, slowly reached out his hands, inching his fingers toward the first one…

"Naruto, what do you think you are doin?"

The blond felt his blood turn cold as his heart skipped a few beats. Too shocked and ashamed to make a sound, he looked over to where the question came from.

However, Sakura was still in bed, eyes closed. "I get to ride Fluttershy first," she snored, turning over.

Breathing once again, Naruto grabbed the two egg cases, much more relaxed now, and made his way out.

0o0o0

**Meanwhile, outside the academy…**

0o0o0

Whistling a happy tune, Mizuki waltzed over to his jeep, twirling his keys. Even if the Sound Trio had failed, he was still going to win-

"Hey you!"

Shirking like a girl, Mizuki jumped, whipping. However, he calmed down upon seeing who it was. "Oh, Dosu," he sighed. "What do you want?"

"You set us up!" the boy growled, stalking forward.

"I did no such thing," Mizuki retorted, irritated. He did not need this right now.

"Oh yeah?" Kin hissed, walking out from behind Mizuki, Zaku following, "then why was Teal Town's gym leader around to stop us from stealing those eggs for the Boss?"

The man snorted. "What? You're blaming me for that? I did my job; I made sure those two girls' Pokémon were weak and unable to battle. How was I supposed to know Iruka was going to treat them all to a night on the town?"

"Fine," Dosu said, nodding, "you didn't set us up. But we still need those eggs, and now those brats are going to be expecting us!"

Mizuki smiled thoughtfully. "Don't worry; I know exactly what to do. Get in," he added, opening his jeep's doors.

The trio looked at each other and nodded, piling in the back.

As they drove off, none of them noticed a figure spying on them.

Mizuki drove for a while, and then pulled over in front of a dark, abandoned building. "Listen up," he said, unlocking the doors, "those brats are going to try and sneak into this building; I told them a Rotom is supposed to haunt this place. All you have to do is take them out. Can you handle that?"

"Of course we can," Dosu said. He and his friends jumped out of the jeep and made their way to the old building.

Smiling, Mizuki drove off, taking out his cellphone. "Hello, 911?" he asked, pinching his voice. "Yeah, I want to turn in an anonymous tip on the whereabouts of those three kids from the news, 'the Sound Trio.'"

0o0o0

**Back at the PokéCenter**

0o0o0

Sasuke got up from his bed, sighing as he made his way to the bathroom. After reliving himself, he tried to quietly make his way back to bed. Of course, half-way there, he stubbed his toe and tumbled to the floor.

"Ouch!" the boy cried, rubbing his foot. "Darn it all, why's your backpack in the middle of the floor, Naruto?"

Surprisingly, there was no answer. He didn't even stir from all the noise Sasuke just made.

"Naruto?" the boy asked, turning on the lights.

The blond's bed was empty!

Gasping, Sasuke ran into the girl's room. "Wake up!" he ordered, flipping on the lights.

"Hey, what's the big idea!?" Sakura protested, shielding her eyes.

Across the room, Hinata groaned and rubbed her eyes. Next to her, Waltz tried to look over and see what was going on.

"Naruto's not in bed," Sasuke explained, "he's missing!"

Gasping, the two girls started to get up; however, Sakura noticed something else was missing. "My eggs are gone!"

"Both Naruto and the eggs?" Hinata pondered. "You don't think-?"

"Let's not ask any questions until we find him," Sasuke said. "You two get dressed; I'll get our Pokémon."

0o0o0

**Outside the Center…**

0o0o0

"The nurse said she didn't see Naruto, but she could have dozed off," Sasuke told the girls, handing them their Pokéballs. He set Bayushi on the ground. "Come on, buddy, I know you're tired, but we need to find Naruto, and you know his scent."

"Vee," the Pokémon nodded, shaking the sleepy feelings in his limbs off. He sniffed around, and found the blond's scent. "Eevee!" Bayushi cried, running off.

"Come on!" Sasuke shouted, chasing after him with the girls following behind.

0o0o0

**About a half-mile away…**

0o0o0

Naruto stopped, looking back. Guilt from not telling Sakura or anyone else about what he was doing was starting to sink in. The boy realized that he should have told his friends about this, and not just snuck off.

"They wouldn't believe me," Naruto said to himself. But then again, he didn't really believe this would work anyway; the only reason he was doing this was out of desperation. Naruto couldn't go home; he wanted to live up to his family's greatness, to fulfill his dreams…

_Then again_, the boy thought, _why should I be worried? Last time I talked to them, my parents told me they wouldn't want me to come home, even though the Snake Clan attacked me. Besides, those freaks are after Sakura, not me. _

Sighing, Naruto heaved up the two egg cases (which were much heavier then you'd expect), and started to turn back.

"Naruto!" an adult voice said, honking a car horn.

Jumping around, Naruto saw Mizuki in a jeep. The man pulled over next to him and rolled a window down. "So, you're going to take my advice then? Good idea, I'll drive you over to the shrine; hop in." The man opened the door and smiled.

Naruto saw something behind his smile that sent a shiver down the boy's spine. "N-No, I'm just out for a midnight stroll with Junior 1 & 2. In fact, I'm going back the center right now."

Mizuki's smile faulted for a second. "I see…well, in that case, why don't I just give you a ride back to the PokéCenter?"

The boy took a few steps back. "Actually, I'd rather just walk. Thanks for offering! Bye!" Without waiting for the man to respond, Naruto took off running as fast as he could, slipping down an alleyway too narrow for the jeep to follow.

"GET BACK HERE!" the man shouted.

Naruto ignored him and kept on running. After a few twists and turns, the boy couldn't continue running anymore. Leaning against a wall, he tried to catch his breath. "Huff-huff…I think I lost him."

No sooner had the words left his mouth did a buzzing sound fill his ears, coming from above. Looking up, Naruto just had time to see a Beedrill flying down at him, stinger extended.

Yelping, the boy dove to the side, evading the attack. Not looking back, Naruto scrambled to his feet and took off. However, the Beedrill's buzzing told him that the Bug-type was closing in on him.

"BZZZZ!" the monster cried, swinging one of its fore-stingers at the boy.

"NO!" Naruto felt something shove him away.

He looked up, and standing there was Iruka, holding his hand to his stomach. Naruto gasped when he spotted blood dripping out from between his fingers. "Iruka-!"

"RUN NARUTO!" the man shouted, pulling out a Pokéball. "Go and get help!" He tossed the ball, calling out Vincentio.

The Beedrill growled, buzzing away as the Nidoran chased after it with Drill Run.

"But you're hurt!" Naruto protested.

"I said run!" Iruka shouted. "NOW!"

Recoiling in fear, the boy took one last glace at his teacher before obeying, turning tail and rushing off as fast as he could.

At that moment, Mizuki appeared, flanked by a second Beedrill. "Well, well, fancy meeting you here?"

"Two-faced traitor!" Iruka spat, wincing at the pain coming from his wound. "I saw you with the Sound Trio; you're one of the Snake Clan!" The man grabbed a second ball from his belt, and called out Isabella.

"Yep," Mizuki laughed as the Nidoran growled at him, "not that you knowing's going to help any." He pulled out another Pokéball and tossed it. "End this," he ordered.

0o0o0

**Meanwhile, not too far away…**

0o0o0

"Vee vee." Bayushi stopped running suddenly, sniffing the air.

"Look over there!" Sasuke said. He pointed at a jeep that was parked on the sidewalk. The lights were on and the engine was running.

The group rushed over to the vehicle. No one was inside. "Someone abandoned it, and not too long ago," Sakura mused.

"Eevee!" Bayushi called, pointing towards an alleyway.

"Whoever did might have been chasing after Naruto," Sasuke said. "Come on!"

0o0o0

Meanwhile…

0o0o0

Naruto ran down the alleyways, which changed from an asphalt floor to dirt. However, after a few turns, he found himself facing a dead end.

"Where's the way out?" the boy shouted, looking around. However, no one responded.

Having nowhere else to go, he backtracked and tried a different path. Once again, he found himself trapped by a dead end.

"Nononononono! I don't have time for this! I need to get Iruka help!" Naruto started thinking franticly. Oh, if only he had the mind to bring his Pokénav!

The sound of buzzing ripped Naruto's attention out of his thoughts. The two Beedrill flew down so that they cut off the only way out. One of them pointed aggressively at Naruto, clearly demanding the eggs. Blood dripped from its stinger.

"You want these?" Naruto hissed, placing the egg cases behind him and pulling out his Pokéball. "Then come get them! Kata, Puck, get ready for a fight!"

0o0o0

**Back to Sasuke and the gang…**

0o0o0

The three trainers and Bayushi ran down the alley, but soon stopped when they came across a sight they could never have expected.

"Prof. Iruka!" Sakura cried, running to his side. The man was down on the floor, holding a bloody wound in his abdomen. Next to him, Vincentio and Isabella lay unconscious. "What happened?" She started to pull out her medical kit.

"N-Never mind me," Iruka croaked, "Naruto went that w-way." He lurched, biting his lip as the girl continued to try and treat his wound. "Mizuki went after him."

"Mizuki?" Sasuke asked.

"He's part of the Snake Clan!" Iruka explained. "You need to help Naruto!"

"But you're hurt!" Sakura protested. "You need help!"

Sasuke put a hand on her shoulder. "Sakura, call for help on your Pokénav. Take care of him until an ambulance arrives; Hinata will help you. I'll go help Naruto."

The two girls nodded.

"Be careful," Sakura whispered at Sasuke's back as he ran, before putting her full attention on Iruka.

**0o0o0**

"Where did that brat go?" Mizuki hissed, looking around. Why didn't his Beedrill fly up and signal that they found him already?

"Stop right there!"

Snorting, Mizuki looked over his shoulder. The boy, Sasuke, was pointing at him, his white Eevee hissing with his fur on end.

"You've got to be joking, kid," the man laughed coldly. "You're just a punk who couldn't win his first badge. Run off home and I won't hurt you."

"You're the only one going to get hurt!" Sasuke yelled, tossing two Pokéballs. "Go Togashi. Go Akodo!"

The Charmander and Shinx materialized growling.

However, Mizuki looked far from impressed. "I don't have time for this," he sighed, tossing a ball at them, "take care of them and then find the boy." With that, Mizuki walked away.

Sasuke was about to chaise after him, but the Pokémon that appeared cut him off. It was a large, purple skunk with its tail draped across its body.

"A Skuntank," Sasuke hissed, pulling out his Pokédex.

"Skuntank, the Skunk Pokémon. Stuntank have noxious fluids in their body that they can release from the tip of their tail; these liquids are not only vile-smelling, but can also be poisonous, or even flammable."

"Skun!" the beast hissed, firing a spray of purple liquid from his tail. The blast was aimed at Bayushi and Akodo, but both leapt back in time.

"A Toxic attack," Sasuke murmured, watching the venom bubble for a second. "Focus of evading his attacks, boys. If he poisons you with that, it will only get worse with time."

"Tank!" the Poison-type growled, lunging forward and attacking with a Slash aimed at Bayushi. Once again, Sasuke's Pokémon evaded, and then responded with a Quick Attack to the enemy's chin.

As his three Pokémon danced around the Skuntank, Sasuke realized that it already had a few bruises and other signs of battle all over it. Then he remembered that Iruka's two Nidoran had been with him, knocked out, and concluded that Mizuki had already had his Skuntank fight with Iruak's Pokémon. The boy almost laughed. Sure, that meant that it was strong, but it also meant that it had to be tired, which was why his team was having such ease dodging all the beast's attacks. "Stay on the defensive!" Sasuke ordered. "We'll tire him out."

0o0oo

**At the alleyway's Dead End…**

0o0o0

"Rio-Lu!" Kata screamed, slamming a Force Palm right into one of the Beedrill's faces. However, the enemy's Bug/Poison typing made the attack worth pretty much moot.

Hissing, the Beedrill responded by stabbing at Kata, who managed to duck in time and fall back.

"Puck, if you've got any secret moves you haven't been telling me about, now's a really good time to use them," Naruto said, looking over at his other Pokémon.

The Furret, however, wasn't moving. Instead, he was just staring at the Beedrills' stingers, watching them in fear.

"Puck, you need to help Kata!" Naruto shouted, motioning for his Pokémon to go an attack. "He needs you!"

However, Puck just stood still, lips quivering.

The boy glared at his Pokémon in disgust. "Fine! If you don't want to obey me, then so be it! Kata, back away and try to get away from them. We need to find a way to separate the two!"

The two Beedrill flew at the Riolu, stabbing their fore-stingers out in duel Twineedle attacks.

Kata moved back for the first, second, and third attacks, but he was nipped by the final one on the arm. Wincing, the Pokémon hoped that he hadn't been poisoned back backed away some more, only to find himself hitting a wall.

The Beedrill looked at each other and giggled sinisterly. Flying up, they started after their prey with their lower Stinger, aiming a Poison Sting attack at Kata.

Growling in frustration, Naruto picked Puck up and threw him shouting, "If you won't help him, then I'll make you!"

"Reeeeet!" Puck cried. He flew headfirst into one of the Beedrill, knocking it over into its partner.

Seeing an opening, Kata moved as fast as he could, running up and kicking one of the Beedrill on the wing, spraining it.

"Good work, you guys," Naruto called, raising his arms up, "Now, use Quick Attack and Furry Swipes!"

Kata zipped past everyone and went after the Beedrill with the injured wing, striking it in the same spot, earning a slash from the Beedrill's fore-stinger.

However, Puck was having much more trouble. He had hissed and bared his claws, but before he could attack, the Beedrill flew up into the air and buzzed aggressively, pulling back its lower stinger for another Poison Sting.

"Furret!" Puck screeched, fleeing in utter terror.

"Puck! What are you doing?" Naruto shouted. "You can't run away! We need you."

The Beedrill was confused for a moment, but quickly started chasing after Puck with a flurry of Twineedle attacks.

Puck responded by screaming bloody murder, somehow dodging all the attacks.

"Puck, listen to me," Naruto begged, watching as his Furret panicked. "Why are you so afraid of the Beedrill's Twin…needle." Realization flashed though Naruto like a light; Puck was afraid of needles! So to him, a Beedrill must seem like the demonic, buzzing, needle-spawn of pure evil. "Oh no," the boy cried.

"Oh yes!" a voice called. Mizuki walked into the fight, smiling.

0o0o0

**Meanwhile…**

0o0o0

"Skunt!" Giving an almighty heave, the Skuntank slammed a Slash into Bayushi, hitting the Eevee so hard he was lifted off his feet and flew until he slammed into Akodo.

"Shinx!" Akodo hissed, telling Bayushi to pull his weight.

"Vee-vee!" Bayushi quibbled back.

"Knock it off you two!" Sasuke ordered. He did not need them fighting each other in the middle of battle!

The Skuntank laughed evilly, preparing to fire a Toxic at the two. "Skun-tank!"

Sasuke saw the Poison-type fire a steam of smelly venom, and shouted, all too late, "Look out!"

"Chaaar!" Togashi fired a powerful Ember, intercepting the Toxic in mid-air; the liquid burst into flame, leading back to the Skuntank like a gasoline fire.

"Skun!" the beast hissed as the tip of his tail was drenched in an explosion of flames. Luckily, his tail was only burned, not lit aflame.

"Nice work Togashi!" Sasuke laughed, remembering how the Pokédex mentioned that Skuntank's liquids were flammable. "Do it again!"

"Mander!" Togashi hissed, firing a steam of embers from his mouth right into the Skuntank's face.

It growled in pain, but then just charged forward. Screaming for revenge, it slammed into Sasuke's Charmander, hitting it with a powerful Payback attack. Togashi was thrown against the wall, and slid down it, not stirring.

"Togashi!" Sasuke ran to his Pokémon's side, trying to rouse him. However, the Charmander was unconscious.

Seeing an opportunity, the Skuntank charged forward, attempting to hit both Sasuke and Togashi with Payback.

"Vee!"

"Shinx!"

A blur of white slammed into the Skuntank's face, followed by sparking ball of electricity. The two attacks caught the Skunk Pokémon by surprise, causing it to stumble.

Bayushi and Akodo moved so that they stood in front of their master, both growling at the Skuntank.

The beast got up and hissed at them, only for both of them to hiss back.

Sasuke smiled, returning Togashi. "Come on guys, for Togashi! Give him another Quick Attack-Spark combo!"

"Vee!" Moving fast, Bayushi rushed around the Skuntank, who tried to Slash at him; however, the quick little Pokémon easily evaded the attack and slammed into his back leg, hitting home.

As the Skuntank howled in pain, Akodo cloaked himself in electrical power, rocketing forward and slamming right into his foe's neck! This time, the attack left sparks traveling across the Skuntank's body, the telltale signs of the Paralysis condition.

The Skuntank roared in furry, and he aimed a surprisingly fast Slash attack at Akodo. Caught off guard, the Shinx had no way of dodging.

"Eev!" It was Bayushi to the rescue, who hurtled himself into the Skuntank's paw and made the attack miss!

Bayushi landed on his feet, grinning at Akodo, who nodded respectfully.

"Perfect!" Sasuke laughed. The two were really working together!

"Skun..tank!" The Skuntank heaved, his paralysis making his movements slow and weak. Growling, he prepared to fire a Toxic attack, raising his tail.

"Bayushi, Sand Attack!"

The Eevee whipped his tail around in the dirt, whipping a dust cloud right into the Skuntank's face.

The Poison-type yelped, firing Toxic attacks at random; Sasuke even had to duck to avoid one. However, it suddenly seized up, paralyzed.

"Now you two," Sasuke said, pointing, "hit him with your best Quick Attack and Spark you have!"

The two rushed forward, drawing all their strength into their attacks.

However, somehow, the Skuntank whipped around, slamming his tail right into the two charging Pokémon. Their attacks connected, but it only powered up the Skuntank's Payback attack!

The two skidded across the ground; both were winded and unable to move quickly.

Seeing its chance, the Skuntank fired a Toxic attack, dousing both of his foes in the powerful, vile venom.

Sasuke gritted his teeth. This was bad.

Akodo and Bayushi tried to move, but the poison in their bodies and the pain they were experiencing was overwhelming.

Growling, the Skuntank charged forward, intending on ending this with a Payback.

"Akodo, Bayushi, get up!" Sasuke shouted wildly. "You've got to get up!" The attack was almost upon them. "NO!"

Suddenly, Bayushi stood up defiantly, body glowing slightly. Growling, a ring of sly-blue orbs materialized around him, spinning rapidly. Bayushi heaved, and fired the ring of orbs, which homed in on the Skuntank, exploding on contact. The beast was blasted back, landing with a great thud. It did not move after falling.

"What…What was that?" Sasuke asked, pulling out his Pokédex.

"Hidden Power," the dex chimed, "the power and Element of this attack varies from Pokémon to Pokémon."

The boy laughed nervously. "Good job, Bayushi…but how did you learn that?"

Instead of answering, the Eevee struggled to his feet, being sure to face Akodo; the two stood as tall as they could, ignoring the powerful toxic poisoning they suffered. The two locked eyes for a moment, and then nodded respectfully.

Sasuke smiled. "Good job, you two-"

"Vee!"

"Shinx!"

Quick as they could be, the two looked away, scoffing slightly. Then they started hacking, feeling a wave of poison overwhelm them.

Sighing, Sasuke recalled Akodo, and then looked down at Bayushi. "Listen buddy, you need to go find Sakura and have her help you. I still need to help Naruto. Now get going!" Without looking to see if his Eevee obeyed, Sasuke ran off, realizing that he had no Pokémon in his party left fighting fit.

0o0oo

**Meanwhile…**

0o0o0

"Keep that Furret busy," Mizuki ordered his first Beedrill, "just use Twineedle over and over."

The Beedrill buzzed up, and chased after its prey, stabbing at Puck over and over. The Furret fled as fast as he could, but tripped in his panic. The Beedrill dove after him, delighted. However, after the first stab, the Pokémon disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"Zzz?"

"It's just a Substitute," Mizuki explained, "find the real one."

As the Beedrill obeyed, Mizuki's other one was having difficulties of its own; Kata continued to use Quick Attack to dance around his foe, jabbing at him lightly and running away. The Beedrill's wing was still injured, and thusly, the Bug was temporarily grounded.

"Kata, try another Force Palm!" Naruto shouted.

"Counter that with Furry Attack!" Mizuki ordered.

Kata pulled back his arm, gathering energy, but the Beedrill attacked before he could execute the move, attacking with all three of its stingers, unleashing a flurry of stabs at the Fighting-type.

"Ri!" the Riolu grunted, guarding his face as he backed away from the onslaught.

Mizuki grinned cruelly. "Follow up with Brick Break!"

The Beedrill gave a powerful chop with its fore-stinger to Kata's midsection, winding the Pokémon.

"Kata, no!" Naruto gasped. If his Riolu was unable to battle, then what would happen? Slowly, Kata stirred, feeling sore all over…

At that moment, Mizuki didn't notice, as his Beedrill's wings buzzed to life again, and it took off into the air.

"Now help your brother take out the Furret," Mizuki ordered confidently. This was too easy.

However, Mizuki soon found himself frustrated. Each time he spotted the annoying fur-ball and his Beedrill attacked, the thing exploded in a cloud of smoke. After 4 failed attempts, Mizuki was screaming swears.

All the while, Naruto was trying to get his Pokémon to fight. "Puck, Kata needs you! Come on, I know you're scared of needles, but I need you!"

The Furret ignored his trainer, staying in the shadows while the Beedrill hunted another one of his Substitutes. Puck could see the path to freedom; all he had to do was get past the angry man without being caught by the demon-needle bugs, and he was home free!

Yelping with joy, Puck sprang across the battlefield as quickly as he could, planning on slipping through Mizuki's legs.

However, the man saw the Furret coming, and got other ideas.

"That beast is coming at me!" he shouted, running off to alley's other side. "Beedrill, crush it with Brick Break!"

The two Bug-types flew up high, smashing their stingers into the walls on either side of the alleyway's entrance, causing an avalanche of bricks to start falling toward Naruto's Pokémon.

"Puck, look out!" Naruto screamed. However, buzzing sound of the Beedrill right above him caused the Furret to freeze in fear, curling up into a shivering ball. Too scared to move or listen, Puck was oblivious to his impending doom.

Just as the falling bricks were about to crush him, something grabbed the Furret and pulled him out of the way. Screeching in shock, the Pokémon lashed out with all of his limbs. However, he stopped upon realizing it was his trainer.

"You okay, buddy?" the boy asked, ignoring the bleeding cut on his face Puck's claw had caused.

Puck looked back at the pile of bricks, realizing he had almost been crushed by it.

"Listen Puck," Naruto said, "I know you're scared of needles, and it's unfair for me to be making you fight, but-"

"Enough of this sap!" Mizuki growled. "Get the boy with Poison Sting!"

The two Beedrill zoomed at Naruto, stingers bared.

Naruto cringed at the incoming attack, expecting a lot of pain.

However, a screeching noise caught his attention; Puck leapt out of his arms and stretched out his long body. Both Beedrill, too surprised to respond, were entangled by the Furret, who proceeded to unleash his strongest Furry Swipes on both of them.

"What the-!?" Mizuki gasped. Why the heck was that little coward fighting back now!? "Use Brick Break on him!"

The first Beedril broke free from the Furret and took a swing at him; Puck just nimbly jumped above the attack, letting the second Beedrill take it for him.

"BZZZ!?" The two giant bees started to squabble in their confusion.

Puck landed on a handstand, smiling at his trainer.

"Look out!" Naruto yelped, pointing at the second Beedrill, who was trying to attack him now.

The Furret laughed, flipping away. Before the Beedrill could chaise after him, Puck jumped into the air; spinning rapidly, he dove into the ground, burrowing into it headfirst.

"That's a Dig!" Naruto cheered. "All right, Puck!"

"Quickly," Mizuki shouted to his Beedrill, "fly up before the Furret can get you!"

"Oh no you don't!" Naruto shouted back. "Kata, Quick Attack!"

The Riolu, who Mizuki had completely forgotten about, came out from seemingly nowhere, delivering a flying drop kick square in the back of the Beedrill he had been fighting earlier. The two slammed into the ground, with Kata standing atop his foe's back.

The Beedrill hissed, trying to get up; but Puck suddenly burst from the dirt beneath him. Giving a feral cry, the Furret smashed into his foe, throwing him into the air.

Both Puck and Kata landed nimbly, while the Beedrill fell limply to the earth, not stirring. The two smiled and high-fived.

"One down, one to go!" Naruto laughed. The battle had turned from a near one-sided fight to being in his favor. "We're coming for you, Mizuki!"

The man winced; he could not let himself be captured by a brat! "Beedrill, fly up and keep your distance; shower attacks at them over time," Mizuki ordered. However, as he did so, Mizuki started to back away unnoticed.

Buzzing, the Beedrill obeyed, flying into the air.

"Get back here and fight, you coward!" Naruto hissed.

"Rio!" Kata agreed, shaking his fists at the Poison Bee Pokémon.

The Beedrill dove, attacking with a Poison Sting; Puck dug underground again, avoiding the attack while Kata tried to land a hit. However, the Bug-type avoided the attack and rose up high.

Turning around, it dove again, preparing its stinger. However, as it approached the ground, Puck erupted from it, teeth bared, only for the Beedrill to pull up at the last moment, evading the attack and aiming its Poison Sting at the Furret.

"Bzzzz-!"

Just then, Kata attacked from behind, sending a Force Palm right into the back of the Beedrill's head. "Rio-lu!"

The attack struck the Beedrill off-balance, sending it crashing to the earth. As it tried to rise, however, the chi power from Kata's Force Palm interfered with its own chi, paralyzing it.

"Good work, both of you," Naruto said, "now, finish this with Dig and Furry Swipes!"

Hissing, both Pokémon launched themselves at the grounded Beedrill. Kata hit it in the side with a jab while Puck slashed at it over and over and over again. In a few short moments, it was down and out.

For a few seconds, Naruto was speechless. Then, all at once, he jumped up and down, whooping and hollering. "Yeah! We WON! We're the best, guys!"

"Rio ri," Kata agreed, crossing his arms and nodding.

"Furret," Puck purred.

The boy scooped his two Pokémon, hugging them close. "We are soooooo cool! We beat Mizuki's butt into the dirt! We- wait! Mizuki!" Naruto gasped, dropping Kata and Puck unceremoniously. "Where is he?!"

The three started searching for the scumbag when a familiar face came around the corner, climbing over the debris the Beedrill had left behind.

"Naruto, there you are!" Sasuke exclaimed, running over. "Are you alright, man?"

"I'm fine," Naruto said slowly. "But, Mizuki got away."

"Who cares?" Sasuke brushed the revelation aside. "If he didn't get the eggs, who cares? You're not a cop. Come on, let's get out of here."

"Wait!" the blond cried. "What about Iruka?"

Sasuke put his hand on the boy's shoulder reassuringly. "Don't worry Sakura and Hinata were taking care of him while the ambulance arrived. He's probably safe at the hospital. Come on, let's go see him."

"Yeah," Naruto agreed, "let's…"

0o0o0

**Not too far away…**

0o0oo

The treacherous Mizuki ran at top speed, lost in the labyrinth of backdoors and alleyways. Once, he thought he had found his way out, but quickly ran back into the maze upon hearing the police sirens.

"Come on," his growled, looking around; there was latter to a fire escape was nearby!

Nearly jumping for joy, Mizuki ran over to it and tried to reach for the first handle. It was just out of his reach…

"Chime!"

Mizuki's heart froze when his body became stiff, outlined by a violet aura. He floated into the air, flying up to the building's rooftop. There, three figures and their Pokémon were waiting, arms crossed.

"Put him down, Decibel," Kin hissed.

From behind Mizuki, her Chimecho psychically tossed the man onto the roof.

"My friends!" Mizuki laughed nervously, trying to get to his feet. However, the glares from the three told him to stay down. "Wh-What are you all doing here?"

"Don't play games with us," Dosu growled, his Octave striking his scythes together threateningly. "Admit it, you sent the police after us!"

"No, no! Let me explain," the man begged, prostrating himself to them. "This is all just a big misunderstanding!"

"You're right," Zaku said coldly, "we were mistaken."

Mizuki looked up hopefully.

"Yeah," Dosu concluded, "we thought you were our friend. Wasn't that foolish of us, guys?"

"Not as foolish as thinking you could trick us twice and get away with it," Kin countered, glaring at the pathetic man before them.

The three laughed, closing in around him.

"No," Mizuki begged again, "no, please! Mercy!"

0o0o0

**The next day, at the hospital…**

0o0o0

Slowly, Iruka opened his eyes. Four sets looked back at him.

"He's awake!" Naruto cheered, moving forward and hugging the man.

"Careful Naruto," Sakura warned when the professor winced in pain, "the doctor said he still needs to heal."

"Oh, right," Naruto laughed, backing away to be with his friends.

Sighing, Iruka tried to sit up, but the pain in his torso was too great. "Oooh, what happened?"

"Mizuki attacked you," Naruto explained, "don't you remember?"

"Yeah," his old teacher sighed, "I remember." He paused. "…did he get away?"

Sasuke nodded.

Iruka sank deeper into the hospital bed. "Darn, he got the eggs."

"Think again," Sakura laughed. The four kids held up the two cases, smiling broadly.

The man did a double take. "But…but…how?"

"Sasuke and Naruto took care of him," Sakura explained.

"They saved the day," Hinata added softly.

"Don't sell yourselves short," Naruto piped in, "you guys helped save Iruka's life!"

"Please," Iruka said softly, holding up his hand, "tell me what happened, all of you."

A short while later, the kids concluded their tale with Naruto looking down guiltily.

"I really did mess up, letting Mizuki use me like that," he admitted sadly. "Some Pokémon Trainer I am…"

The gym leader thought quietly. Then he asked, "Sakura, could you hand me my things?"

The girl complied, wondering what was going on.

"Naruto," Iruka said firmly, rummaging through a backpack, "after thinking over what happened, I have come to a conclusion about your abilities as a trainer."

"You don't have right to judge him," Sasuke suddenly cried, stepping forward in his friend's defense, "Mizuki fooled you way more than Naruto! You can't be mad at him for that!"

Behind him, Hinata nodded softly, while Sakura looked to Sasuke with quiet respect. Besides him, Naruto looked shocked at his friend coming to his defense.

"My judgment is for all of you," Iruka reassured him, voice cold. "Close your eyes. All of you."

The four friends looked at each other for a moment; nodding, they all complied, shutting their eyes tightly.

A short time later, the heard Iruka say, voice undeniably cheerful, "Okay, open them!"

They did, and couldn't believe what they saw: four Antidote Badges, lined up on the front of the bed for them.

"Congratulations," the gym leader said proudly, "you've all earned your Antidote Badges! Hinata, Sakura, yours are here too, seeing as I never got to give them to you in the first place."

"B-but, I messed up," Naruto stuttered.

"No," Iruka said firmly, "no you didn't. You all showed the maturity, teamwork, and strength of real trainers when it really counted." He paused, smiling. "I'm so proud of you."

The four were too stunned to do anything at first. Then, Sasuke slowly picked his up, bowing to Iruka.

Sakura quickly followed. "Thank you, Prof. Iruka!"

Slowly, Hinata fingered her badge. "…thank you."

All that was left was Naruto's. "Go on," Iruka urged the boy. "You've earned it."

With that, Naruto grinned, picking the badge up and tossing it into the air. "Alight!" he shouted, catching the badge and striking a pose. "We did it!"

0o0o0

**Antidote Badge Arc: Concluded**


	14. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer**

Let me just start out with the standard Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, Pokémon, or any of the associated or mentioned franchises/companies, and I am not making a profit on this.

The image I am using was made by BlissfulGold on , and I am using it with their permission. Please check out they DeviantART page sometime. 

**Review Response**

**Pokemon Professor Wag**: Glad you are enjoying my work, and I am glad to meet a fellow Christian

**Bleach2121XX**: YES! That is exactly the image I wanted to convey! Glad you approve.

**Emmerlaus**: Thanks. Making the Sound Trio motto was hard, and I appreciate all the help I got in writing it.

**StormDragon666**: I am really glad you like my work, and that you're back reading my work. Anyway, I didn't say that my fic wasn't going to be nonviolent, but instead less dark than the Naruto Manga can get. And yes, I am a big fan of the Lion King, so Mizuki's downfall was geared to invoke Scar's death. I am really, really trying to give all the Pokémon here personalities, so it's really good for my readers to notice that. Thank you, and I hope you continue to enjoy my work.

**sakura240**: Okay, I will take note of Sakura's interest in Naruto's parents. And yes, her expressions at finding out who the little nerdling is related too. Haha

**Amaterasuice**: Thanks for your loyal reading, and I will continue. Also, thank you for your help in my Private Messages.

**The Daughter of Deaths**: Yes, I imagin Naruto doing Ash's Victory Pose when he wins. Glad you are enjoying this, and sadly, I ain't giving any hints as to what the eggs are. Haha.

**LovelySakura**: Glad you are enjoying this.

0o0o0

Pokémon Konoha

Chapter 11

"Hey Sasuke, do you got any idea where we are?" Naruto asked.

Our four heroes had been on the road for a day now, having left Teal Town just after earning their Antidote Badges; though Naruto wanted to stay for a while, Iruka insisted that he continue on his Journey. And so, the team made their way to the Snorunt Breeze Mountains, within which lay Winterborn City, their next stop on the road to the Pokémon League.

"Hmm," Sasuke murmured, looking down at Naruto's Pokénav (he had confiscated it due to the boy being hopeless with maps), "the nav says the closest place is Sproutingdale."

"So, how much further 'till we get there?" Naruto asked.

"Pretty far," Sasuke replied, "more than ten miles. With any luck-"

However, he was cut off by a high pitched scream.

"_HELLLLLPPPP!_"

"Oh great," Sasuke sighed.

A blazing Ponyta was coming at them, and coming fast. Atop the horse, a young girl screamed, "HELLLP!"

"Don't worry," Naruto called, "I'll-"

"Akodo, use Leer!" Sasuke interjected, tossing his Pokéball before Naruto could even reach for his.

The Electric-type appeared in a flash. Growling, Akodo ran in front of the runaway horse, eyes glowing aggressively.

The panicked Ponyta whinnied, coming to an abrupt halt as the Leer took effect. However, the sudden stop caused the horse's rider to be thrown forward.

Luckily, Sasuke moved quick enough to catch the girl before she hit the ground. "You okay?" he asked, setting her up on her feet.

"Uh, a little bruised, but I think I'm okay," the girl managed, her country accent apparent even in her dazed state. She was their age, with her coarse brown hair in pigtails, a straw hat on her head, dressed in worn overalls, with a face covered in freckles. The girl looked up to thank her rescuer, but one look at Sasuke's handsome face made her weak in the knees, and she fell to the floor (Sasuke didn't bother catching her a second time). "Ouch…"

"What the heck happened?" Naruto asked, stepping over and helping the girl up. "Why was your Ponyta so out of control?"

"Uh, something spooked her," the girl managed, standing up. She brushed the dirt off her overalls and smiled. "I'm Ann Larkenson, by the way. Thanks for helpin' me out there."

"Hi, I'm Naruto," the blond declared, "Grumpy McSilent-treatment here is Sasuke-" he pointed at Sasuke playfully, "-and they're Sakura and Hinata…" The boy stopped midsentence; the two girls were paying little attention, instead gently petting and fawning over Ann's Ponyta.

"There, there," Sakura cooed in baby-talk, rubbing her muzzle, "the nasty Shinx isn't going to hurt you."

Next to her, Hinata giggled gently, stroking the Ponyta's neck. "Y-You're so pretty."

"Oh come on!" Naruto growled. "Don't you see the girl who almost broke her neck-?"

The boy stopped when Ann just walked right over to them and started chatting pleasantly with the girls.

Sighing, Naruto looked over at Sasuke and asked, "What is it with girls and horses?"

His friend just shrugged. "Speaking of horses," he announced loudly, "you said yours was spooked? Care to tell us what happened?"

Ann nodded. "Of course; how rude of me. Well, I was just takin' the flock to the river when- OH NO!"

"What?" Sakura stammered, stepping back in surprise at the girl's outburst.

"The flock!" Ann explained, smacking her forehead. "Pa's gonna skin me what-for if anything happens to them critters!" She started to mount her Ponyta.

"Flock of what?" Sakura asked.

"My Pa's Mareep!" Ann cried, turning her steed around. "I was watching them when Buttercup here took off. If I don't get back soon, they'll wonder off like a bunch of Hoppip on a windy day!" With that, the girl took of full speed.

"Mareep, eh?" Naruto pondered, taking out his Pokédex.

"Mareep, the Wool Pokémon," the machine chimed, showing the picture of a sheep-like Pokémon on its screen. "Mareep are docile, unaggressive Pokémon that prefer to avoid confrontation and graze peacefully. They store electricity in their wool, causing it to double in size. When this happens, touching it will result in nasty static shocks. Mareep wool is notable for being soft, warm, and durable, and Mareep are bred and raised in all regions for this reason."

"Mareep sure are cute," Sakura commented, looking over Naruto's shoulder, "I wonder if there are any wild ones around here..."

The blond boy snorted. "Sheesh, Sakura, a minute ago you were drooling over that girl's Ponyta, and now you want a Mareep?"

"I can like more than one Pokémon at once, thank you very much," she responded hotly.

"Zu-zu!" Waterlily added, sticking her tongue out.

"Please, let's not fight," Hinata said softly, stepping between the two.

"Yeah, let's just get moving," Sasuke agreed. "I'm pretty sure any Mareep we see here are gonna be someone else's property, Sakura."

"You're probably right," she laughed, trying to walk next to Sasuke. However, his Shinx was in the way, staying stubbornly by the boy's side. "Hey Sasuke, shouldn't you return Akodo?"

"Why would I do that?" Sasuke asked.

"Shi," Akodo growled.

"Never mind."

The group continued walking, staying fairly quiet.

"Man, I'm hungry," Naruto finally said when the road had come near a river, "let's eat."

"Come on, we're not even close to Sproutingdale," Sasuke pointed out.

Much to both boys' surprise, Sakura came to Naruto's defense. "I'm with Naruto; after all, we have such a nice view of the river. It would be nice to have a little picnic here."

Sasuke looked over at Hinata, who nodded in agreement. "Fine, but let's hurry."

Cheering, the team set up lunch, and then let out their Pokémon, sitting down to eat.

"Okay, sandwiches are on," Sakura announced, placing the plate down.

Naruto yelped with joy, grabbing three ham sandwiches; he handed one to Puck and Kata each before chowing down on his own.

Kata smiled thankfully and sat down cross-legged, eating peacefully. Meanwhile, Puck sniffed his gift, and jumped back, eyes wide. Purring, the Furret quickly grabbed the sandwich and started gobbling it up, downing it in less than three seconds.

"You know, they could eat normal Pokéfood like the rest of them," Sasuke pointed out. From his lap, Bayushi subtly nabbed a piece of ham from his master's sandwich while Sasuke was distracted, gleefully eating his prize.

To the boy's left, Akodo ate his food contently; Sasuke had been sure to buy meat flavored Poké-chow. Togashi occupied himself by playfully chatting with Kata while he ate.

Meanwhile, Hinata sat quietly while Rhapsody pranced around, eating and chatting with everyone all at once. Waltz was out too, leaning up against his trainer, unmoving but content all the same.

Sakura fiddled with her Pokénav, turning on the radio to the blues and jazz channel.

"Azu," Waterlily squeaked gratefully, her ears twitching in time to the song, Louis Armstrong's 'What a Wonderful World.'

Her trainer carefully set out her food (she was now able to feed herself), and then handed Jane a sandwich, which the Mankey took gratefully. She took a bite and closed her eyes, peacefully swaying back and forth in time to the music's gentle melody.

"Couldn't you put on something else?" Naruto whined. "I hate slow songs." He reached over and changed the channel to a Rock'n'Roll station. "Ah, how here's a good-"

SPLAT!

A half-eaten ham sandwich slammed right into the boy's face.

"Hey, who threw that?" Naruto demanded, wiping off his face.

His answer came in the form of a very irate Jane grabbing him by his shirt's front. "Key-key Mankey?!" she hissed angrily, thrashing the boy back and forth.

"I'm sorry!" Naruto answered helplessly, "I didn't mean to insult your music; how was I supposed to know you liked it? Sakura, help me!"

"No, you asked for it," the girl responded crossly. How _dare_ he insult the great Louis Armstrong?

"Sakura, please" Hinata begged, leaning forward, "isn't this a bit much?"

Sighing, Sakura was about to call her beasty off when Kata jumped in, shoving the Mankey off his trainer.

"Rio!" he growled aggressively, taking a fighting stance and motioning for Jane to come at him.

"Maaaaaaannn," Jane replied, cracking her knuckles.

"No," Sakura said, pulling her Mankey away before either Pokémon could attack, "Hinata's right, Jane. We can't trash people for having bad taste in music…even if they deserve it," she added, glaring.

Casting one more look at Naruto and Kata, Jane nodded. "Man-key," she sighed, sitting back down.

"Yeah, you better run," Naruto sighed quietly (so Jane wouldn't hear him). "Thanks for helping me out, Kata."

"Lu," the Riolu responded, smiling.

"Now, I better get cleaned up-"

"Fur-fur," Puck suddenly said, running over from nowhere. Quick as a flash, he started licking his trainer's face, nibbling the leftover bits of the sandwich right off it.

"Hey, s-stop that," Naruto giggled, "that t-tickles- OUCH! You bit me!"

"Ret," the Furret apologized, shrugging. How was he supposed to help that his trainer's face tasted delicious?

His friends watched the boy and his Pokémon happily; Naruto really was entertaining at times.

"It's a good thing Puck's licking you clean; nothing's going to waste," Sasuke pointed out. He took a bite of his sandwich, but quickly frowned; there was no meat on in it!

Scowling, the boy looked at Bayushi accusingly, who lowered his ears and whimpered innocently.

"Sneak," Sasuke sighed, turning to Sakura. "Can you pass me another sandwich?"

"Of course," she replied, reaching for the plate. However, she only groped air. "Hey, where are the sandwiches?" Sakura looked around, but the entire tray of sandwiches had vanished.

"What?" Naruto asked, jumping up. "Where did you leave it?"

"Right here, by the river!" Sakura cried, pointing.

"Great," Sasuke growled, rolling his eyes, "it must have fallen in."

"But wouldn't we have heard that?" Hinata pointed out.

Naruto shrugged. "How could we have heard anything with Sakura's sadistic Pig-Monkey beating me for sport?" he asked sarcastically, earning a glare from Jane.

"Enough," Sasuke ordered, not wanting a fight to start out. "Let's just pack up and go."

"Well, someone's grumpy," Naruto whispered to Hinata, "Sasuke's blood-sugar must be low."

The team packed up, their Pokémon helping.

Sakura looked around for his still playing Pokénav, but Rhapsody had picked it up, dancing as it played ZZ Top's 'Sharp Dressed man.' Laughing, the girl nodded. "Ah, why not keep it on? You're having fun."

"Dile!" Hinata's Pokémon cheered, twirling around.

"Azu-zu-zu," Waterlily added gratefully, laughing as the Totodile danced. She blushed, looking away. However, her ears suddenly twitched, hearing something no one else could. Jumping, the Azurill followed the sound, walking over to the river's edge. She looked into the water curiously…the sound was coming from behind that big rock just ten feet down…

"Hey, where's Akodo?" Sasuke asked, looking around.

Naruto tilted his head. "That's funny, he was here a moment ago…"

"SHINX!" The Electric-type's cry came from just beyond the nearby hill, followed by several baas.

"What now!?" Sasuke hissed, running towards the sound; Bayushi and Togashi were on his tail.

The rest of the team followed, save for Waterlily. She was too busy looking at the river.

"Azu?" she pondered, wondering if she should jump in and check out the funny sound…

"Toto?"

Waterlily leapt into the air, landing on her tail.

"Dile, dile!" Rhapsody apologized, still holding Sakura's Pokénav over one of his shoulders like a boombox. He motioned for Waterily, pointing at the others retreating forms. "Toto"

"Zu," the Azurill nodded, letting the Totodile lead the way. She took one final look back at the river before turning her attention fully on Rhapody, bushing.

As the left, something peered out from around the rock in the river, the now empty plate of sandwiches held under its arm.

**0o0o0**

Sasuke found his Shinx surrounded by four Mareep; the Wool Pokémon were practically smothering him. "Hey, get off him!"

"Shinx! Shinx!" Akodo cried, flashing with electricity over and over again. However, his attacks didn't seem to do anything to deter his attackers; in fact, it only seemed to make them push in on him more and more.

"I said get off!" Sasuke shouted, running over and attempting to lift a Mareep away. However, as soon as his hands touched its wool, an electrical spark discharged from it.

BZAP!

The boy flew back from the shock, electricity still dancing up and down his body.

"Guys," he said stiffly, "you might not want to touch the Mareep."

"They're wool's absorbing Akodo's Sparks, Sakura observed, "if we touch them, we'll be electrocuted."

"Well I'm not letting a bunch of sheep bully my Pokémon," Sasuke said, getting to his feet. "Bayushi, Hidden Power; Togashi, use Ember-"

"Hold it!"

A blur of yellow and red ran up to them; Ann and her Ponyta, Buttercup, were back, blocking the team off from the four Mareep. The Ponyta cantered on its hind legs, whickering. "You can't just go around attackin' other folks' Pokémon!"

"Girl, speak for yourself," Sakura shot back, pointing at the fluffy mob around Akodo. "Your Mareep are ganging up on our Shinx!"

"_Our _Shinx?" Sasuke asked, perking an eyebrow. However, he was ignored.

"Hey, you heard the lady!" Ann shouted, pulling out a whistle. "Get offa that little critter right now, ya hear me?"

The excited Mareep didn't listen, causing Ann to blow hard on the whistle; it gave a shrill tone.

"Maaaa!" the Wool Pokémon cried, winching in pain. They backed way, and Sasuke noticed that Akodo was also covering his ears in apparent agony.

Ann moved quickly; kicking Buttercup off, she rounded up the four disobedient Mareep, making sure they were a good distance away from Akodo.

"You naughty little critters," she scolded, "you know better than to wonder off like that; why, you should be grateful that whatever it was that spooked poor Buttercup here didn't get you. But instead you just mosey around and find yourselves a defenseless little Shinx to bully!"

At being called defenseless and little, Akodo hissed angrily, but Sasuke picked him up before he could go after the girl.

"Ya'll know better than that," Ann continued. "Pa's gonna be so mad when he finds out you were suckin' up more shockies, I hope ya' know."

The Mareep baaed fearfully, bunching together.

Satisfied, Ann turned to Sasuke and his friend. "Sorry for all the trouble my kin's Mareep be causing ya'll."

"Why were they even attacking Akodo in the first place?" Sasuke asked, glaring.

Ann laughed. "Well that should be plain as day, Handsome! Just about everyone knows that little ol' Mareep's wool sucks in electricity quick as a dry sponge sucks in water. And the more they suck in, the fluffier they get. They be wantin' to make their coats as big and fluffy as possible. Only problem is," she added, glaring at the Mareep, "there be a limit on how much shockies they can take in; any more than that, and they'll end up discharging it all, hurtin' themselves and frying their wool at the same time."

"Ah," Sakura mused, scratching her chin, "that's what you meant when you said your father would be mad."

"Bingo," Ann laughed. "Now, if you don' mind, I gotta go get these five naughty dearies back on home before my Pa tans my hide."

"Five?" Sasuke asked, almost smug, "I count four."

Gasping, Ann turned around, looking left and right. "Oh no! Daisy's gone!"

"Who's Daisy?" Naruto asked.

"My Mareep!" Ann explained. "When Pa bought our Mareep, I pleaded and begged for him to let me have one, so he let me keep the runt, Daisy. If anything happens to her, why, Pa's never gonna trust me as long as I live." The girl cringed, near tears.

"Don't worry," Sakura stepped in, "We'll help you find her."

"We will?" Sasuke asked coldly.

"Shinx?" Akodo growled, glaring over at the four Mareep that were still eying him hungrily.

"Of course we will," Hinata insisted.

"Come on, Sasuke," Naruto laughed, "lighten up. Not like her Mareep was part of the group that mobbed Akodo and zapped you."

Sasuke nodded and rolled his eyes; wondering how many distractions were going to keep them from Sproutingdale City.

Next to him, Bayushi whined softly, wondering how much longer Sasuke was going to hold Akodo and not him.

**0o0o0**

"Daisy!"

"Veevee!"

"Come on out, Daisy."

"Mankey?"

"Daisy, where are you?"

Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, Ann and their Pokémon searched the hills; Hinata had offered to stay behind and keep the Mareep in line, Buttercup helping her. After all, Waltz couldn't move and Rhapsody wasn't much use searching on land.

"Where could've my little darin' run of to?" Ann asked, looking around.

"Mankey key!" Jane called, not too far away.

"Hey, Jane's pig-nose must have found our little friend," Naruto exclaimed, earning a smack from Sakura.

"Daisy!" Ann cried, running over. However, she stopped short. "D-Daisy?"

"What's wrong?" Naruto asked, followed by an equally curious Sakura and Sasuke. However, as soon as they saw the Pokémon, it was apparent.

The Mareep Daisy was backing into the tall grass, shaking with absolute fear, the bell around her neck dinging clearly.

"Daisy, don't be frightened," Ann cooed, getting to her knees and reaching over, "no one's going to hurt you-"

"Maaaaareeep!" Daisy screamed, releasing a Thundershock.

Ann drew away in pain while the rest of the group flinched.

"Daisy, what's gotten into you?" Ann cried.

From the sidelines, Sakura saw something that made her gasp. "Look at her leg!"

The poor Mareep's left leg had a long, nasty cut on it, blood oozing out slowly.

"My poor baby," Ann exclaimed, but Sakura held her back from reaching out again.

"She's hurt and scared," Sakura explained, "we should be careful not to frighten her anymore. Move slowly and let her see everything you do, and talk in a soft voice."

Ann nodded. She reached for her Mareep, moving as slowly, and speaking as softly, as she could. It took some time, but the girl coaxed Daisy to come to her willingly, and even allowed Sakura to treat the cut (however, Sakura told the boys to stay back).

"Do you have any idea what could have done this?" Sakura asked as she bandaged the injury.

"Well, sorta," Ann replied, looking away.

"Sorta?" Sasuke asked, looking into the river. "What does that mean?"

"Well, it's hard to explain," Ann admitted. "You city-folk won't believe me anyway."

Sasuke snorted loudly, causing Daisy to stir.

"Easy, easy," Sakura whispered, giving the boy a dirty look. "Does it have anything to do with whatever spooked you Ponyta?"

"Yeah," Ann nodded slowly, petting Daisy, "I reckon it does."

"So?" Naruto asked, perplexed, "what is it?"

Ann sighed, looking away. "Well…ya' see…this river's haunted."

0o0o0

**Whitestone Corp's Tower, Tsurugi City…**

0o0o0

"Here are the papers on the Otogakure project," the secretary said, handing the files to her boss. "Will that be all, Sir?"

"Yes, thank you, Pamela," the man replied in his characteristic raspy voice His long, black hair strongly contrasting his unhealthily pale skin, which looked even paler with the pure white suit he was wearing. "I'll call if I need you." With that, he dismissed the woman.

"Thank you, Mr. Orochimaru," Pamela nodded, bowing and leaving quickly.

Orochimaru sighed, flipping through the papers; everything had to be in order and double checked.

The video phone on his desk rang, a stylized 'S' flashing on the screen. Orochimaru smiled, looking up to make sure the door was shut. Nodding, he pressed the button to answer.

"Greetings, Boss. Kabuto reporting." An image of a white-haired, bespectacled young man appeared on the screen.

"Ah, Kabuto," Orochimaru purred, raspy words rolling of his tongue, "I didn't expect you to be calling me; I trust you have news from the expedition?"

Kabuto shook his head. "No such luck; the team's still searching. However, that's not what I'm calling about."

The boss of the Snake Clan raised an eyebrow. "Oh? What would be so important you'd call me here, in the din of my legitimate business?"

"It's about the 'Sound Trio' you commissioned," Kabuto explained, "they've sent in a report."

At this, Orochimaru smiled eagerly. "Go on…"

Sighing, Kabuto looked over his report. "It seems that they've failed to acquire the Pokémon eggs they were ordered to retrieve for you. Apparently, they claim our agent in Teal Town's Academy, Mizuki, double-crossed them and sent the police after them. However, they did manage to evade capture and take care of Mizuki -No, they didn't kill him," Kabuto added as Orochimaru opened his mouth. "Ahem, anyway, they ended their report saying they would hunt down the Haruno girl and her companions and steal those eggs if it was the last thing they did."

Orochimaru grinned. "Well, sounds like they have it under control. Tell them I'm pleased with their handling of the traitor and send them a bonus for a job well done."

Kabuto took a step back. "S-Sir, you sure about that? They basically failed in their first mission."

"But they also were able to deal with a two-timing double-crosser and keep out of the police's reach," the Boss pointed out smugly. "I'd say they did a good job; this mission was mostly about training, anyway."

"Speaking of that, I still don't understand why you're even interested in those eggs in the first place," Kabuto pointed out, pushing up his glasses. "The crooks who offered them to you didn't provide any real proof the eggs were special, beyond their own word. I didn't even get to examine them. If you ask me, I think they just dipped two normal eggs in a chemical bath to make them unidentifiable; several of our own agents use that trick to turn a profit on the black-market."

Orochimaru chuckled. "Kabuto, you're a wonderful scientist, but a poor businessman. Those 'crooks' told me those eggs were special experiments from a certain scientist…a student of Prof. Nono Yakushi, I might add," he said, enjoying the look on his subordinate's face.

Kabuto fidget uncomfortably. "Sir, why didn't you tell me this? More importantly, you should have a more experienced agent take over the operation. Let me-"

"Now, now," Orchimaru laughed, wagging a finger, "don't jump ahead of me. As I was saying, supposedly, those two eggs are the work of a student of your dear mentor. However, I did a little research and found out those crooks were lying. I couldn't' stand for that. So, I arranged for the police to get a tipoff on their activities." The man smiled cruelly. "However, I still didn't know what was so special about those eggs (they can't be identified by some of the best professors around, after all), and I didn't feel like letting them slip away. So, I decided to have some fun, and let the Sound Trio take care of it."

"Ahh," Kabuto nodded understanding, "there's no proof those eggs are special, but you still want to make sure, and it would be a good training exercise for the Sound Trio."

"Exactly," Orochimaru said smugly, brushing the front of his white suit. "Now, why don't you tell me about the kids our Trio is hunting after?"

0o0o0

**At Larkenson Farm…**

0o0o0

"Pa, Ma, we got company!" Ann called, opening the gate and letting Naruto and the crew in. "Hold on, stay here while I get the Mareep back in the barn."

The farm was not as large as Sasuke would have expected, just a house, a well, and a barn/stable combo building. There wasn't even a sign above the gate stating who the property belonged to. "This place isn't all that big," Sasuke pointed out, "there's no pigsty or even a building for the farmhands"

"They probably don't need any," Sakura pointed out smartly. "Considering their flock is all of 5 Mareep, this is probably just a small family farm."

They couldn't continue, as a tall man in overalls that could only be Ann's 'Pa' came out of the house; his left arm was in a cast and sling, clearly broken. Following behind him was his wife, who looked like an older version of her daughter. "Well, whatta we got here?" the man asked playfully, casting a glance over his guests. "You wrangle up a catch of Mareep thieves, Ann?"

"They aren't thieves, Pa," Ann explained, coming out of the barn, "they helped me out of some trouble with the Flock."

Mr. Larkenson nodded appreciatively at the group of kids. "Well, seems I be owin' you a thank you right-and-proper. Reckon I best introduce myself too. Name's John Larkenson and this here's my wife, Anny, and you've already met my daughter Ann, named after her mother, o'course. I'd call out my eldest ta' meet ya,' but he's out in the pasture watchin' the bovines. His name's John too, so just call him that and me Larkenson."

"Thank you," Sakura said, smiling. "My name's Sakura Haruno. A pleasure to meet you."

"Sasuke Uchiha," Sasuke grunted.

Naruto stepped forward, taking the farmer's hand and giving it a firm shake. "Name's Naruto Uzumaki, friend."

"I-I Hinata Hyuga, Mr. Larkenson," Hinata stammered, doing a small curtsy.

"Well, why don't you folks come on in?" Mrs. Larkenson suggested, opening the door. "We got an apple pie fresh out of the oven that's just itching to be served up. Now don't be shy, come on in, y'all."

Laughing gleefully, Naruto followed the friendly family into their home, his friends coming in after him.

They sat down at the dining room table and were served up slices of pie promptly.

"So how did you manage to fish my girl out of trouble anyway?" Mr. Larkenson asked pleasantly.

"Did you lose track of the flock while you were playing with Daisy again, missy?" Mrs. Larkenson quipped at her daughter playfully.

Ann scowled in embarrassment. "Ma! I'm doin' good with the Mareep! And I ain't playing with Daisy, I'm trainin' her to win in contests! You know how much I wanna show her off onstage."

"Well then, what happened?" her father asked evenly.

Ann took a bite of pie before answering. "Well ya' see, something spooked Buttercup just as I was takin' the Mareep over to the river for a drink again. Then, whatever spooked her attacked Daisy and scared off the rest of the flock. Poor thing was jittering like a Meowth in a barn full of Growlithe."

At this, both of Ann's parents looked up; Mr. Larkenson's fork fell from his hand in shock. "You see what it was?" the man demanded, suddenly serious.

Ann shook her head. "No, it was the ghost. I'm sure of it, Pa."

Sighing, Sasuke decided to speak up. "What are you even talking about? What is all this talk about a haunted river and ghosts?"

The three Larkensons looked at each other for a moment. Then, the head of the household spoke up. "Well, it's a long story, youngins'. You see, it all started when Old Man Groder passed on, about 3 weeks ago. He lived way up the river yonder, see, so we scarcely knew 'em. However, my son John was a passin' through the area, and stopped by the estate sale to have a looksee. Groder's five new Mareep were up for sale, cheap like, so he bought the lot of 'em and brought them home with 'em. However, as soon as those Mareep stepped foot on our land, nothin' but trouble's been happin'."

"Trouble; like what?" Sakura asked.

As the group talked on, Hinata couldn't help but notice Naruto's face in an uneasy, even frightened, expression. She wondered what was wrong, but couldn't ask him now.

Clearing his throat, Mr. Larkenson continued. "Well, the first thing that happened was when I was out with the Mareep the second day after we bought them; I took them over to the river for a drink, and my old Rapidash went crazy like he was cornered by a herd of Blastoise and threw me; that's how I got the broken arm. Then, in the middle of the night, the barn doors were ripped open and our livestock let loose. Every time we go near that river, something bad happens."

"But do you really think that the river's haunted?" Sakura asked.

Mr. Larkenson looked down sadly. "We didn't know it at the time, but Old Man Groder died when he was tendin' to his Mareep. Something happened, and one of them ended up shocking him; that short-circuited his pacemaker, and he fell over into the river, never to get back out…"

The room was silent for a moment.

"Whoa," Naruto said slowly, "there really is a ghost haunting them…"

"That's a load of Muk!"

The gang jumped at the unexpected voice coming from behind them.

"John!" Mrs. Larkenson gasped.

Her son, a tall, ruggedly handsome youth dressed in jeans, walked into the room. He looked over at the four guests. "You heard me; there's no ghost and no haunting here."

Sasuke noted that the youth's voice was almost devoid of the rich country accent the rest of his family had.

"I'm sorry, y'all," Mrs. Larkenson quickly said, waving her hands, "John's had a long day of hard work; he's hungry and tired. Please don't mind him."

"Don't apologize for me," John said, his voice fairly even, "I'm telling you, there is no ghost!"

Naruto decided maybe it would be best to interrupt. "What makes you say that?"

John snorted. "Why should I believe there is one? Just because bad things are happening doesn't mean it's the work of the paranormal. They haven't even _tried_ seeing if it was something real."

"But John, you heard Pa!" Ann protested. "Old Man Groder died in that river!"

"So?" John asked, shrugging. "People die everywhere; Grandfather was accidently killed by his prize Tauros, but we're not haunted by him, are we?"

Mr. Larkenson had heard enough. Slamming his good fist down on the table, the farmer looked at his son. "You really think your somethin' smart, don't ya', goin' on about how stupid we country folk is believing' in ghost stories and what not? Who do you think you are?"

John glared, but otherwise didn't move. "I never said anything like that," he replied coolly. "Ignorant, maybe, but not stupid. And sorry to say this, but saying there's a ghost without looking into it is just plain foolish of you."

"John James Larkenson, you better watch your tone boy!" Mr. Larkenson growled.

"You better take your friends outside," Mrs. Larkenson whispered to her daughter.

Ann nodded, complying. "Come on," she said, opening the door, "we best not be around for this."

0o0o0

"Uh," Naruto said awkwardly as they walked aimlessly around the farm, "I know it's not our business, but-?"

"If it's not your business, don't ask," Ann replied sternly. "You city-folk best learn to mind your own business, and stay out of ours."

Sakura glared at this comment. "Forgive me, but considering that your family decided to have a spat in front of us 'city-folk,' I think we're entitled to at least a little bit of an explanation. Oh, and just to point out, helping you out earlier _wasn't_ our business, but we still did, and you weren't complaining then."

The country girl looked at Sakura in surprise; so did Sasuke, Naruto and Hinata. What brought this side of her out?

Sighing, Ann considered her options for a moment. "Well, ya' see, John and Pa haven't been seeing eye-to-eye ever since-"

"Let me guess, John moved to the city," Sasuke interjected.

The girl looked over at him in surprise. "How'd you know that?"

Sasuke's face was almost in a grin. "You're brother doesn't sound like the rest of your family. I'm betting he went to collage somewhere for a while, considering your father's comment about him thinking he's smarter than everyone else."

Ann nodded. "Yeah, he majored in Law; became a police man, ya see."

"You're so observant, Sasuke," Sakura giggled.

"Yeah, well, John was coming for a visit when he bought those Mareep for us; he knew Pa always wanted to raise a flock," Ann explained. "After Pa broke his arm, John stayed to help out until Pa got better. Only, John's really not remembering his place no more, not mindin' Pa like he should."

At this, Sasuke snorted. "Considering he moved out, went to college, got a career, bought his father the livestock he always wanted, and then chose to put his career on hold to stay and help out around the farm after your father broke his arm, I'd say maybe John's the one not being respected like he should. Ever think about that?"

"Don't be rude, Sasuke," Sakura warned, but Ann already looked away angrily. Even so, Sasuke was still glaring unrepentantly; the pink-haired girl wondered what made him so sympatric to John's side.

"Well, I for one believe John's right," Naruto suddenly said, stepping forward. "Everyone knows there's no such thing as ghosts!" He threw his head back and laughed loudly, clearly trying to be dramatic.

"B-But what about Ghost Pokémon?" Hinata asked softly.

"Those aren't really ghosts," Naruto responded quickly, nervously scratching the back of his head. "They come from eggs, after all."

Sakura's eyes narrowed. "You're scared of ghosts, aren't you?"

The blond boy nearly fell over. "Wh-What makes you even think that!?" he demanded. "I ain't a-feared of nothing!"

Now, Sakura laughed. "_**Ain't**_ afraid of _**nothing**_? That means you're afraid of everything, stupid!"

"A-zu," Waterlily agreed, laughing with her trainer.

"You know what I meant!" Naruto responded hotly.

"If you ain't scared, prove it," Ann said teasingly.

"Gladly," the boy responded, falling into her trap.

"Stop it," Hinata begged, stepping over, "we shouldn't be fighting like this."

"No, you heard him," Ann insisted. She turned to Naruto. "I dare ya' to sleep in the barn tonight; the ghost is sure to be there, you know."

Slowly, Naruto gulped.

"Deal," Sasuke suddenly said.

"Eh?" Both Ann and Naruto looked at him.

"I say the ghost is a fake too, and tonight, we'll prove it," Sasuke explained confidently.

Ann looked at him for a moment and laughed. "Ha, typical. Some know-it-all city boy moseys onto a farm bein' haunted, and he thinks he can show us simple country folk how it's done."

"You know," Sasuke growled, "I'm getting really tired of all the 'city folk-country folk' talk. You don't even know where we're from."

"Once again, Sasuke, can you try not to be rude?" Sakura hissed.

"Suit yourself," Ann sighed, clearly unimpressed, "but Pa and John both tried catchin' the ghost already. You think you got a better chance than they do?"

"I think we've got something they don't," Sasuke replied mysteriously. He smiled, scratching Bayushi, who was on his shoulder, behind the ear. "Isn't that right Bayushi?"

The Eevee purred for a moment before realizing what was said. "Vee?"

0o0o0

**Later, in Ann's room…**

0o0o0

"There you go, girl," Ann cooed, carefully dabbing Daisy's hurt arm with a wet cloth, "feelin' better already, aren't ya'?"

"Mareep," Daisy baaed, smiling up at her owner.

Sakura and Hinata were also in the room, helping the girl.

"Listen," Ann said slowly, looking up at the two girls, "I…I just wanna apologize for how I've been actin'. You folks are awfully generous to be helping me out like this, and I've been pretty rude to ya' lately."

Sakura almost jumped back in surprise. "Uh, thank you. But, I guess we should be pretty sorry too. After all, with your brother and Father at each other's throats and us thinking you're crazy for believing in a ghost, you should be pretty miffed."

Hinata nodded.

Smiling at the two, Ann laughed. "Well, I guess- wait, you thought I was crazy?"

"Uh, here," the pink-haired girl said quickly, taking out a tube of medicine from her bag, "this ointment oughta help keep Daisy's cut from getting infected."

"Thanks," Ann replied, taking the medicine and carefully applying it.

"Don't worry," Sakura reassured her, "Daisy's going to be fine. We're just lucky the cut was so clean."

"That's what worries me," Hinata suddenly spoke up.

The other girls looked at her.

Gulping, the shy girl explained. "If she got cut by a branch or rock, wouldn't she have a dirty, jagged cut?"

Sakura's eyes widened. "Now that you mention it, Daisy was acting like something attacked her, considering how she was cowering."

"I'm tellin' ya, it's the ghost!" Ann insisted.

"I'm not so sure about that," Sakura responded, scratching her chin. She carefully showed Daisy's injury. "Look how long and smooth this cut is. Very few wild Pokémon could do that; the Scratch attack normally leaves a short, jagged cut. Normally, it would take a something with a metal edge inflict a wound like Daisy's."

Ann took a step back. "You mean like a knife?"

"Or some other bladed weapon," Sakura said. "Is it possible that a person did this to Daisy? Do you or your family have any enemies?"

Ann was about to speak up, but the Mareep baaed and shook her head back and forth. "Mareep!"

The three girls looked at her questioningly. "What are you tryin' to tell us, girl?" Ann asked.

"Maaar, maaaar," Daisy exclaimed, shaking her head side to side.

"You tryin' to tell us who hurt you?" Ann suggested.

As the Mareep hopelessly continued to baa and her trainer tried to understand, Sakura spotted Hinata holding the side of her head softly.

"Maybe she's telling us that it wasn't a person attacking her," Hinata finally said, stepping forward.

"Mareep!" Daisy nodded.

Sakura's eyes widened; how did Hinata figure that out?

"You saw your attacker, girl?" Ann gasped, "Why didn't you tell us?"

Daisy shook her head no. Then she started looking around. "Maa…Mareep!" Jumping, she pointed at the bowl of water Ann had been dipping the cloth into.

"Water?" Ann asked. "You're saying water attacked you?"

"Reep," the Mareep sighed, pointing at it again.

Sakura thought for a moment. "…the river?"

"Ma-reep!" Daisy exclaimed.

"The river attacked you?" Ann said, tilting her head. "What does that mean?"

0o0o0

**In the barn….**

0o0o0

"Sasuke, what are we doing here anyway?" Naruto whined, "It stinks of cow poop!"

In one of the stalls, a Miltank mooed at the boy, clearly insulted; noticing her Tauros mate lowering his horns, Naruto quickly apologized.

"That's because the floor's also the bathroom for these Pokémon," Sasuke growled, "which incidentally is also why the girls aren't here with us."

"No, it's because Sakura's a chicken!" Naruto corrected him. "She's scared of the ghost too!"

"Once again, there is no ghost," Sasuke sighed, "I thought we established that. And once we catch it, that'll prove it."

Naruto glanced at his friend. "Why are you so set on proving it's not real anyway?"

Strangely, Sasuke grinned craftily. "Isn't it obvious? If it's not a ghost, then what could it be?"

His blond friend tilted his head in confusion. "What?"

"If it's not a ghost, then what could it be?" Sasuke repeated.

"Uh…a person, I guess?" the boy said, shrugging his shoulders.

"No, a Pokémon!" Sasuke exclaimed. "These farmers are being harassed by a Pokémon!"

"Eh?"

"I bet they started letting their livestock graze on an aggressive Pokémon's territory," the dark boy explained, "so, it's retaliating by spooking their horses and raising trouble at night."

"But wouldn't they have seen it by now?" Naruto asked.

"Obviously, it must be a really sneaky Pokémon," Sasuke said. "Really sneaky, and really smart, seeing as it hasn't been caught. And that's the kind of Pokémon I want!" He pulled out a Pokéball and smiled slyly.

"Sorry to bust your bubble, Sasuke," Naruto began, "but if the farmer can't find this little devil, how can we?"

At this, Sasuke smiled. "We have something they don't."

Naruto looked over at Bayushi, but Sasuke shook his head.

"Nope, it's not Bayushi," Sasuke laughed, causing his Eevee to sigh in relief. "I just said that to throw the girls off. No, what we have is Akodo and Kata." The boy called out his Shinx.

"Shi," Akodo growled, looking around. However, as soon as he whiffed the air, he whimpered, covering his nose.

"Eh? What's so special about them?" Naruto asked.

"Unlike most Pokémon, Shinx have perfect vision in the dark," his friend said. "Not to mention, Larkenson's Pokémon are all big and easy to see, even at night. Akodo here will be much harder for our mystery Pokémon to spot."

Naruto nodded. "Okay, that much I can understand, but what about Kata?"

"Don't you remember his special ability?" Sasuke asked. "Riolu can sense emotions. Kata can _feel_ someone's presence."

Eyes widening, Naruto looked down at his Riolu's Pokéball. "You're right! Dude, that's awesome! You hear that Kata?" he proclaimed, calling his Pokémon out, "We're gonna catch us a sneak!"

As the Riolu appeared, Sasuke glared. "What do you mean **you're** gonna catch it? That was my plan."

Naruto smiled. "Yeah, well, if me and Kata find it first, we get to catch it first. It's only fair, considering Kata's going to be the one to find it."

Before Sasuke could make a retort, the barn door opened, and John walked in, smiling. "Hey boys, Ann told me that you're planning on a ghost hunt, so I figured I might offer a hand."

Sasuke smirked. "We're not hunting a ghost, we're catching Pokémon."

"Sasuke says the ghost is just a sneaky Pokémon," Naruto explained.

"Hahah, glad to hear it," John laughed, "at least some people see logic here." The man walked in and tossed a few blankets to the boys. "So, how do you plan on catching our little sneak?"

Naruto spoke up first. "My Riolu's gonna sense it!"

"Only if me and Akodo don't spot him first," Sasuke quipped.

John grinned; it was good to see such competitive boys. "A Shinx and a Riolu? Hmm, that's pretty good. However, might I show you something?" He pulled out a Pokéball. "Dandelion, come out."

The Pokémon that materialized looked like a medium-small green dog with yellow markings. The Pokémon stretched, sparks jumping from its body.

"What's that?" Naruto asked, pulling out his trusty Pokédex.

The machine lit up. "Electrike, the Lightning Pokémon. Electrike store excess energy in their fur, and use it to stimulate their muscles, allowing for bursts of adrenaline and speed. However, as the weather or aridness of the air directly affects Electrike, trainers are advised to maintain and brush their Electrike's coat, lest they let off showers of sparks and bolts without warning or control."

"Dandelion is my police Pokémon," John explained, scratching her ear affectionately. "As such, she's trained to track criminals; she's got a good nose on her muzzle. However, even with that, she hasn't been able to find head nor tail of whatever is causing all the trouble here."

Dandelion looked down in shame, whining.

Sasuke scratched his chin. "What do you think that means?"

"It means, whatever is sneaking around has found a way to mask its scent," the police man replied. "Whatever it is, it's pretty smart."

"Or very lucky," Naruto pointed out. "It might be a natural ability or something else."

John nodded fairly.

Meanwhile, Akodo glanced at the fellow Electric-type cautiously, getting down onto his stomach and watching intently. Dandelion barked playfully, causing the Shinx to jump up to higher ground, hissing with his hair puffed out. Delighted, the Electrike danced around, barking more and more, making Akodo spark threateningly.

From the stables, a Rapidash with a notably whiter coat whinnied angrily, making Dandelion shut up.

"Maize is right, Dandy," John warned, "You better leave that Shinx alone before you get scratched, girl."

"Maize?" Sasuke asked, grabbing his Shinx protectively.

"Scaredy-cat," Naruto whispered, causing Akodo to retort by biting his hand.

"I named him when he was a Ponyta," John explained, ignoring Naruto's cries of pain. "We were growing corn that year, and he was the exact height of it. And well, maize is a more inventive word for corn, so it all fit."

His Rapidash laughed, causing the man to brush his muzzle affectionately.

"Anyway," John went on, "why aren't your girlfriends here with you?"

"She's not my girlfriend!" Sasuke nearly shouted.

"What Sasuke means," Naruto cut in, "is that the girls are scared of the ghost."

"And they don't want to sleep in a barn," Sasuke added.

John rolled his eyes. "And to think I heard them making fun of Naruto for being scared of ghosts?"

"I'm not scared!" Naruto spat, voice cracking.

"Yes you are," Sasuke said smugly.

"You know what?" Naruto growled, ignoring him, "I think Sakura deserves a little…lesson about making fun of people's fears…"

"Hmm, what do you have in mind?" Sasuke chuckled, knowing that this was leading up to a prank.

"Sakura says I'm afraid of ghosts," Naruto plotted, "so I'm gonna make her afraid of them." He grabbed a white sheet that Mrs. Larkenson had provided for sleeping. "How much you wanna bet I can climb up to Ann's window?"

"I've seen you shimmy up a chimney twice as high and drop a box of Weedle down it," Sasuke retorted. "No bet."

"As funny as that sounds," John interjected. "I can't allow it."

"Eh?" Naruto gasped. "Why not? Don't tell me you never pulled a prank on your sister?"

"That's the problem," John explained. "As a police officer, it's my duty to point out that if you do climb up it and then fall down, my father would be the one liable for any injuries you get or damage you cause. Not to mention, the girls could be changing, and if you even think about peeking at my sister, I swear the most pleasant thing I'd do to you is have Maize trample you."

The Rapidash growled aggressively.

Gulping, Naruto nodded. "But, then how can I get back at Sakura?"

John smiled, looking at Dandelion, and then at Kata. "I might have an idea…"

0o0o0

**Back in Ann's Room…**

0o0o0

"So you really want to be a Pokémon Coordinator?" Sakura asked, rolling out her sleeping bag.

From her bed, Ann smiled shyly, petting Daisy. "Yeah, I know it sounds silly; a tomboy, country girl like me wantin' to get up on stage all pretty-like."

"No, it's not silly," Hinata insisted, "people should follow their dreams." She had already set up her sleeping bag, and was now lying down with Waltz.

Ann grinned sadly. "Yeah, but my Pa says I shouldn't be goofin' off chasing fantasies and instead keep my head back on Earth and focus on my chores."

Sakura scowled. "He doesn't seem to be the supportive type, does he?"

"That's my Pa you be talkin' 'bout, missy," Ann hissed defensively. Then she added, calmer, "But it would be nice if he did give me an encouraging prod."

"You know," Sakura suggested, "if you ask me, what you need is to just tell him straight out that you're serious about wanting to be a Pokémon Coordinator. If you show him how confident and certain of yourself you are, I'm sure your father will respect your decision."

"Easier said than done," Ann replied.

Hinata nodded. "S-Standing up to your father can be difficult."

Sighing, Ann looked out the window. "Ya' know, John said he's got a friend who teaches coordinator classes in the city, and he offered to set me up for a few if I wanted…but I haven't asked Pa about it yet…"

"Well, if you don't even ask him, how can you ever expect to follow your dreams?" Sakura asked.

Ann looked back at the girl. "Maybe you're right- What's wrong?"

Both Sakura and Hinata's faces were twisted in absolute fear, their bodies shaking uncontrollably. "G-G-G-G-" Sakura stutter, unable to speak.

"What?" Ann demanded.

Sakura pointed behind Ann.

Gulping, the girl turned around.

There, floating in the window, was a white ghost emitting a yellow aura. "OOooooOOooohhh!"

"IT'S THE GHOST!" Ann screamed.

0o0o0

**Back in the barn…**

0o0o0

"_**AAAAAAHHHHHHH!**_"

From the loft, the boys heard the satisfying sound of the girls screaming their lungs out, and were laughing up a storm. "Ahahahha!"

"Oh, I wish I could see the look on their faces," Naruto said wistfully, "Oh, it would be priceless."

Nodding eagerly, Sasuke turned to John. "Your Dandelion sure knows a neat move."

The man grinned. "Yep, Magnet Rise sure is useful."

He watched as the 'ghost' flew in through the barn window; throwing off the white sheet reveled Kata underneath, standing on Dandelion, who was glowing yellow. The Riolu, still giggling, jumped off the floating Electrike. Barking happily, Dandelion landed on the loft, her glow fading.

"Good girl," John praised, scratching his Electrike behind the ear.

Naruto laughed, turning to Kata. "So, did you have fun scaring Sakura half to death?"

Kata laughed wickedly, nodding. "Ri-Ri-Rilou!"

0o0o0

**Later that Night…**

0o0o0

Fighting back a yawn, Sasuke sat upright, looked out the loft's window into the darkness. Though he couldn't see, Sasuke still strained his senses, searching for any clue he could find. Next to him, Akodo watched the farm with his glowing eyes, seeing everything as clear as day. In Sasuke's lap, Bayushi also kept watch with half-closed eyes; though his night vision was better than any human's, the Eevee's still couldn't compare to the Shinx's, and he was being much less vigilant in his watch.

Not too far off, Naruto and John slumbered soundly, Kata and Dandelion out behind them. It had been decided that Naruto and Sasuke would take shifts throughout the night while the other got some shut-eye.

The blond stirred, rising from his sleeping bag. "Oh, gotta pee," he groaned, clumsily climbing down the ladder.

"Keep clear of the well," Sasuke called as the boy exited the back of the barn, heading for the outhouse behind it. John had warned them that they could bump right into it if they weren't careful.

0o0o0

**Meanwhile…**

0o0o0

Waterlily awoke with a start. She looked around the room, but all seemed in order.

After the 'ghost incident,' the girls had decided to let out all their Pokémon (not because they were scared, of course). Sakura was lying down with Waterily next to her, and Jane slumbering quietly nearby. Hinata, Waltz, and Rhapsody shared the girl's crowded sleeping bag, while Ann and Daisy lay in her bed.

Sighing, Waterlily strained her ears. She was sure some sound had woken her.

_Squeak, squeak, squeak_

"Zu!" the Azuril gasped, jumping up; the sound was coming from the outside…and the window was left open!

It must have been the ghost!

Trembling, Waterlily pushed against her mommy's face, trying to rouse her. "Zu, zu!" she cried, near tears. The ghost was going to get her!

"To-dile?"

"Azurill!" Waterlily yelped turning around.

She had woken up Rhapsody, who was rubbing his eyes sleepily. "Toto?" he yawned.

"Rill!" Waterlily hissed, indicating to the open window.

Rhapsody sighed, getting up and stretching. Sleepily, he moved to the window and started to shut it. However, he stopped; a shadowy figure was slowly making its way to the edge of the roof. "Dile?" Rhapsody whispered, squinting. However, he couldn't get a good look. Growling, he jumped onto the roof and tried to sneak up on who or whatever it was.

Rhapsody was halfway across the roof; now, he could see the figure was holding something under its arm; but what? The Totodile had to get closer.

_CREAK!_

Flinching, Rhapsody looked back to see Waterlily trying to hop across the roof on her tail. She looked at him apologetically.

The shadowy figure also looked back, and spotted the two Water-types coming after it. Throwing stealth to the wind, it broke out in a full run, jumping off the roof and landing on a bale of hay.

"DILE! DILE!" Rhapsody screamed, giving chase.

0o0o0

**Back in the Barn…**

0o0o0

"LU!" Kata gasped, bolting up.

Sasuke jumped at the sound, nearly falling out the loft window.

The Riolu looked toward the back entrance, eyes glowing blue with aura.

"What is it boy?" Sasuke asked, getting up.

"Ri!" Without answering, Kata jumped out of bed and rushed to the back, jumping straight down to the floor instead of taking the ladder. Sasuke ran after him, as did Akodo; meanwhile, John was getting up, having been woken up by all the chaos.

"DILE! DILE!" Outside, Hinata's Totodile could be heard screaming.

"COME ON!" Sasuke shouted, sliding down the ladder, Bayushi on his shoulder and Akodo held in an arm.

When the boy made his way to the door, Kata had already kicked it down, as he was too short to reach the knob and too impatient to wait. Once Sasuke was outside, he could see why.

The Riolu was next to Naruto's fallen form, which was face down on the ground.

"Naruto!" Sasuke shouted, running over. However, before he could, the boy slipped and fell; the ground was soaking wet. Cursing, he got up, only to be distracted by a light shining on him from Ann's window.

"What's going on out there?" Sakura shouted, holding a flashlight. "Rhaposdy's shouting at somethi-" The girl stopped when her light fell on Naruto. "Naruto! Sasuke, what happened?!"

"I don't know! Get down here, and call the Larkenson's, too!" Sasuke shouted back, leaning over his friend's side; the boy's clothing was as wet as everything else. "Naruto, can you hear me?"

"Ooohh," the boy moaned, getting to his knees. "I'm fine; something hit me in the back with Water Gun or something," he explained, wiping the mud off his face.

Another light shown; it was John with a lantern and Dandelion. "Are you okay?"

"Listen," Naruto said, getting to his feet, "the ghost or whatever it is just attacked me; we gotta find it!"

"Rio!" Kata growled, punching his fists together angrily.

"Akodo, look for it!" Sasuke ordered.

"You too, Kata"

As the two Pokémon obeyed, using their supernatural senses, Sasuke wondered how they could have missed it in the first place; they had been watching all night.

Soon, Mr. Larkenson and his wife came onto the scene, followed by the girls. "What's with all the ruckus?"

Growling, Sasuke explained the situation. "But now we can't find it!" the boy concluded.

"Of course you can't, it's a ghost!" Mr. Larkenson hissed, getting a dark look from his son.

"Do ghosts use Water-type attacks?" John asked sarcastically.

However, before an argument could break out, Rhapsody shouted, jumping up and down.

"Rh-Rhapsody, what is it?" Hinata asked softly.

Growling, he jumped onto the brim of the well and pointed into it. "Di dile!"

"You saw it go down there?" Sasuke asked. The group instantly crowded around it, shining their flashlights; the water was moving as if it had been recently disturbed.

"But why in tarnation would it go down there?" Ann asked.

Something occurred to Sakura. "Does this well connect to the river?"

"Yes…yes it does," John admitted. Realization dawned on him. However, his father spoke up first.

"I'm a Houndoom fool!" the man growled, slapping his face. "The thing's just a Water-type Pokémon, not a ghost! It's been sneaking in through the well!"

"You can say apologies later," Naruto interjected. "If we move quickly, we might be able to catch it still!" He looked at Kata and Akodo. "Our sneak may be able to hide its scent with well water, but it can't hide from Kata's Aura Sensing or Akodo's night vision! We'll catch him yet!"

"Waterlily's hearing can help too!" Sakura cried. Next to her, the Azurill cowered behind her legs, but slowly stepped out and nodded after seeing Rhapsody looking at her hopefully.

"We'll take the horses and scour up and down the river until we find the beast!" John cried, getting a roar of cheers from his fellows.

Only Hinata remained quiet. "I-If it really is a Pokémon," she said nervously, "sh-shouldn't we find out why it's doing all this?"

"We don't have time for that!" Mr. Larkenson growled. "I've been made a fool of long enough. Time to end this!"

As the boys, Sakura, and the Larkenson's moved to the stables, setting up the horses, Hinata fell to her knees; something was wrong here…but she couldn't do anything about it.

Rhapsody looked at her, confused. He walked over, patting her back. "Toto?" he asked softly.

"Oh, Rhapsody," the girl sighed. "I don't know what to do; I know the Pokémon is causing trouble, but it's still a Pokémon. It must have a reason behind its actions. But everyone is too angry to see that…"

The Totodile thought quietly for a moment. He nodded, a look of determination his face. Then, without hesitation, Rhapsody swan-dived into the well.

0o0o0

**Outside the Farm…**

0o0o0

"Dandelion, use Magnet Rise and search on ahead!" John ordered, handing his lantern to the Electrike.

Nodding, Dandelion glowed yellow, rising into the air. Tucking her feet in, she flew off toward the river, lighting up the night sky.

Whistling, Mr. Larkenson looked at his son. "Smart move, boy," he nodded.

"Thanks, Pa," John returned.

The farmer looked at his posy; Ann was riding Buttercup, her Mareep in its ball at her belt, while his guests were on borrowed Ponyta. Naruto was riding Wheat while Sasuke and Sakura shared Cotton. "Listen here, youngins; Ann, you're with me and John. We'll look up north. As for you three," he said, pointing at Sakura, Sasuke, and Naruto, "go south. Those Ponyta are our most behaved and obedient mounts; tell them where you wanna go and they'll take ya'. We'll regroup back here in an hour. Now, let's move! Yah!" His Rapidash took off, followed by John and Ann.

"Come on," Naruto said, hoping he could steer his ride, "we gotta find the Pokémon before the Larkenson's do; they'll gut it first and ask questions later!"

Grain whinnied, not liking how this brat was badmouthing his owner.

"I meant that in the most positive way," Naruto laughed, trying to pet the Ponyta lovingly.

Kata, who was riding with Naruto just as Akodo and Waterlily were with their trainers, said something, and Grain nodded, going off in medium canter.

"Yeah!" the boy cheered, "we're off-"

"Keep up, you Slowpoke!" Sasuke and Sakura zoomed past, riding Cotton in full gallop; it struck Naruto just how cool and natural Sasuke looked as he speed off with Sakura holding on tightly.

"Come on!" Naruto begged, wondering how to get the horse to switch to a higher speed. "They're getting away! Hey Sasuke, how do you shift gears?!"

0o0o0

**A while away…**

0o0o0

Rhapsody let the current carry him, unable to navigate in the pitch-black water. Finally, he saw moonlight in the water, and broke the surface. "Dile, dile," he gasped, crawling onto the shore.

The sensation of something being held against his back made the Totodile freeze in his tracks. Something sharp was pressed against his neck, and Rhapsody was forced to his feet.

"Buizel?" a smooth voice asked.

An orange-brown otter-like Pokémon stood, arms crossed. He had blade-like fins on his arms and two tails, along with a yellow collar around his neck. The Pokémon looked Rhapsody over, twitting a stalk of wheat in his mouth. He then nodded. "Buizel."

Next to Rhapsody, the two other Buizel let go of him, moving their blade-fins away. They moved and flanked the one with the wheat. He smiled in a charming way. "Bui zel bui?" he asked, wanting to know what he could do for a fellow Water-type.

Rhapsody stepped back, a bit confused. This guy wasn't exactly what he expected to confront. However, he then spotted something pink behind the three Buizel: it was Sakura's Pokénav!

Gasping, Rhapsody pushed his way past them and grabbed the device; behind him, one of the two flanking Buizel raised a fin angrily, but the lead one held him back.

After turning the radio on for a second to make sure the nav still functioned (luckily it was waterproof), Rhapsody turned around and demanded to know why they stole it. "Di-dile to Totodile!?"

The lead Buizel moved forward confidently, smiling as he put an arm on Rhapsody's shoulder reassuringly. "Zel bui," he offered, motioning for the Totodile to follow him.

0o0o0

**Meanwhile…**

0o0o0

"See anything, Akodo?" Sasuke asked.

After scanning the area, the Shinx shook his head. Nothing.

"Great," the boy growled. He looked over his shoulder at Sakura. "What about Waterlily; she hear anything funny?"

"Zu-rill," the Azurill sighed, shaking her head no.

"We're getting nowhere," Sasuke said, looking around. "Come on, let's look down the river some more."

"Maybe we should wait for Naruto?" Sakura suggested, looking back. Sasuke had been in such a hurry (and unlike Naruto, could get their horse going full speed) that the blond was quickly falling behind.

"He can make sure we don't overlook anything," Sasuke shrugged, getting ready to lead Cotton off. However, Waterlily's cry cut him off.

"Azu!" she shrieked excitedly, indicating in a direction.

"She's found it!" Sakura cried; in the back of her mind, she wondered how Waterlily could be so sure she heard their prey.

"Good work!" Sasuke laughed; he was so going to catch the stealthy, clever Pokémon before Naruto. "Let's ride!"

Cotton galloped off, Sasuke making him go in the direction Waterlily was pointing.

"Hey!" Naruto cried, "Wait for us!"

"Rio!" Kata added.

0o0o0

**Back to Rhapsody…**

0o0o0

"Totodile…"

The Buizel had lead Rhapsody to a pond that connected to the river. It was home to several other Pokémon; there were two other Buizel lying down on the shore, next to Lotad and Krabby. Meanwhile, a Goldeen and two Magikarp slowly circled around in the water. However, the Totodile could tell something was wrong.

The Pokémon on the beach had leaves wrapped around injuries, and where clearly hurt, while the fish in the water were moving uncomfortably.

Turning, Rhapsody asked what was wrong with them. "Dile?"

The lead Buizel nodded, starting to explain what was going on. As he did, his friends set up the Pokénav next to their injured friends. They struggled, trying to get the strange device to work.

Sighing, the leader looked at Rhapsody and asked him to help, flashing his charming grin.

Nodding, Rhapsody switched the Pokénav on, flipping through the radio until the lead Buizel asked him to stop; "Stray Cat Strut," by the Stray Cats, now played.

Several of the injured Pokémon cheered, enjoying the music. Their leader looked at Rhapsody and asked, "Buizel?"

Nodding, Rhapsody took off dancing, quickly followed by the two Buizel followers and their leader, who moved as smoothly as he spoke. The others laughed at the entertainment.

Their merrymaking went on for a time before Rhapsody remembered what he was here for. "Dile-dile!" the Totdile cried, grabbing the lead Buizel. He started to explain-

"So there you are!" Sasuke shouted; he and Sakura road up on a Ponyta. After spotting the Buizel, the boy smiled. "An aquatic Furret? That's what's causing all the trouble?" He pulled out his Pokédex.

"Buizel, the Sea Weasel Pokémon," it explained. "Buizel can inflate the sacs on its neck with air, using it as a floatation device. Buizel can swim quickly by spinning its twin tails as a propeller."

"Buizel are infamously fast in water," Sakura explained. "Prof. Tsuande said their line are among the swiftest swimmers of all Water-types."

"So that explains how you spooked the farmer's horses and didn't get caught," Sasuke laughed. "You swam by too fast for anyone to see. But now your luck's run out"

He motioned at Akodo, who jumped down and face the Buizel, sparking threateningly. "Shiiii!"

"Toto!" Rhapsody protested, moving in-between the Buizel and the trainers. "Dile, toto to-dile!"

The Shinx tilted his head, looking back at his master for advice.

"Rhapsody, how did you get here?" Sakura asked.

However, Sasuke cut off the Totodile from answering. "Watch out, Akodo!"

The lead Buizel moved as a blur, slamming into Akodo and sending him skidding back.

"Shinx!" he hissed in fury.

However, even he hesitated after seeing the look on the Buizel; it was one of nothing less than pure, undying hatred.

"Buizzzzel," he growled slowly, taking a fighting stance. His buddies started moving to action, but he stilled them with a glance; this was _his_ fight.

"Fine then," Sasuke announced. "Let's see if you can really fight, or if you can just attack people when they're not looking."

Ignoring Rhapsody's protests, the two Pokémon lunged at each other.

The Buizel moved first, firing a jet of water from his mouth at Akodo. The attack hit the Shinx on the face, forcing him back.

"Spark up now, Akodo!" Sasuke ordered.

"Shinx!" Still behind pushed back the Water Gun, Akodo started pulsating with electricity; the current jumped through the water attack and traveled strait to the Buizel, giving him a painful shock.

"Buiii!"

"Good, now move in while it's hurt," Sasuke instructed, "another Spark attack!"

"Shi shi shi!" Akodo cheered, charging forward, more electricity building up around his body.

He crashed into the Buizel, dealing a powerful super-effective blow. Sasuke grinned; no way a pure Water-type stood a chance against an Electric-type. The boy reached for his Pokéball.

However, before he could, the Buizel broke away from Akodo and crossed his arms. "Bui-" With his two blade-fins now glowing white, the Buizel lashed out at the Shinx, hitting dead on. "-Zel!"

"That's a Slash!" Sakura warned, watching as the Shinx was thrown back by the attack's sheer force.

"Zel! Zel! Zel!" the Buizel shouted, lashing out again and again; each of his attacks hit, thrashing his foe.

With a weak cry, Akodo fell back, hitting the floor. He struggled to get up, glaring defiantly at the Buizel, who stood tall but not unscarred from their battle.

The Buizel grinned in a cruel way, preparing another Slash attack. "Bui-!"

"Jane, go!" Sakura shouted, tossing her Pokéball.

The Mankey appeared already attacking, coming at the Buizel in a sliding Low-kick.

"-zel?!" The Buizel was tripped by Jane, but quickly regained his footing and jumped a distance away.

"Sakura, what are you doing?" Sasuke hissed. This was _his_ fight!

"That Buizel's really strong," Sakura explained, placing Waterlily next to Akodo and instructing her to use Refresh on him. "Akodo's the only Super-effective type we have against water; we can't let him be taken down."

"But what about Jane?" Sasuke gasped, watching as the Fighting Pokémon was pushed back by the Buizel's Water Gun.

"Jane, use Leer!" Sakura shouted quickly.

"Man-key!" Jane growled, delivering an intimidating evil eye at her foe.

Far from scared, the Buizel actually scoffed. "Bui bui Buizel," he said charmingly, which basically translated to, '_Better run before you fall for me_,' striking a pose and winking. A pink, heart-shaped cloud of pheromones flew from him and hit Jane, who started blushing and giggling.

"What the heck was that?" Sasuke asked.

"That's Attract," Sakura gasped, "he just made Jane Infatuated with him!"

Growling smugly, the Buizel jetted forward, delivering a head-on Quick attack at the defenseless Mankey, following up with several Slashes.

"Jane, try to regain control!" Sakura begged.

Laughing, the Buizel fired a Water Gun at Jane, sending her slamming into the ground. The Mankey fell, unable to get up.

"Jane, return," Sakura called, recalling her Pokémon back to her ball.

The Buizel smirked, motioning for them to send out someone else to challenge him. Behind him, the Buizel's flunkies gave cheers and catcalls of approval; Totdile jumped up and down, trying to get the trainers' attention.

"Okay Akodo, time for a round two," Sasuke said; his Shinx ran forward and charged into the lead Buizel without waiting for his master's order. The two struggled and ended up rolling into the shallow water, Akodo's Spark lighting up the whole pond.

0o0o0

**Back to Naruto…**

0o0o0

"Yah, Ponyta, yah!" No matter how hard he tried, Naruto couldn't get Grain to go any faster. Finally, the boy just got frustrated and smacked him on the back of the head. "Go faster, you stupid horse!"

Instead of increasing in speed, Grain came to a halt, growling.

"Ri-o," Kata squeaked, jumping off immediately.

_Foosh!_

The Ponyta turned up the heat, allowing his mane to burn his rider.

"_**AUUUHHHHHH!**_" Screaming, Naruto fell off Grain, rolling on the ground for a while before jumping into the river.

Laughing, the Ponyta rushed off home.

"That was their 'most behaved and obedient' mount?" Naruto hissed, Kata helping him out of the water. "If that's true, then I don't wanna see what they consider a bad Ponyta."

"Rio," Kata nodded. Suddenly, he gasped, whipping around. His eyes glowed slightly, and he started concentrating, extending his Aura scenes.

"What is it, boy?" Naruto asked.

"Ri-Ri!" The Riolu grabbed his trainer's hand and set off without trying to explain. If he was sensing things right, they had no time to lose!

The duo ran as fast as they could, until at last they arrived at a small pond, and Naruto saw what Kata had sensed: it looked like a war had broken out. Akodo and a Pokémon Naruto recognized as a Buizel were engaged in an all-out melee struggle in the shallows, with Rhapsody trying to get between the two for some reason, while Sakura and Sasuke where fighting two more with Bayushi and Waterlily. Their Ponyta steed was knocked out besides them, and judging from the water puddled around it, Naruto guessed it was the due to the Buizels' Water Guns.

"Alright, I think it's high time we joined in the fun!" Naruto announced, pointing at the two Buizel on land. "Kata, help out Sasuke and Sakura with Quick Att-"

"RIOLU!" the boy's Pokémon shouted, jumping up and slapping his trainer's face.

"Hey, what was that for?" Naruto asked indignantly, rubbing his cheek.

"Ri-o!" Kata said, pointing at something in the lake.

It took a while for his trainer to catch on to what he meant. "…oh Houndoom."

0o0o0

**Back at Larkenson Farm…**

0o0o0

"Cheer up, dearie," Mrs. Larkenson said, patting Hinata on the shoulder. "I'm sure thing's will turn out alright."

"No it won't," the girl sighed, looking down.

The two were at the farm's gates, drinking tea while they waited for everyone's return. After her husband and children left, the lady Larkenson's anger at they prankster Pokémon had faded, and after talking with Hinata for a bit, turned to understanding. "Listen love, I know you're concerned for the wellbeing of whatever Pokémon it is that's causin' all the trouble, but you also gotta think about it from my husband's point of view, too. That beast's been tormentin' us folk for a while now, and it's only natural for him to wanna end it."

"But it's still a Pokémon," Hinata protested. "Pokémon don't attack humans unless provoked; there's a reason for all of this."

Mrs. Larkenson frowned. "Ya know, you weren't this upset when your friends were fixin' on stayin' up all night, wantin' to catch the varmint. Why you singin' a different tune now?"

"Naruto and Sasuke want to catch it," Hinata explained softly, "but Mr. Larkenson, he just wants to hurt it because he's mad…because it made a fool of him."

"Careful, dear," the farmer's wife warned, "that's my husband you be badmouthin', there. But, I supposed you might be tellin' it true. My John's mad, alright."

The sound of clattering hooves drew their attention; a Ponyta was coming home, baring no rider.

"That's Grain," Mrs. Larkenson commented, "but, why isn't your friend riding him?" She moved to grab the horse's reins.

Gasping, Hinata started imagining what could have happened. Naruto and the gang were hunting an unknown Pokémon; they could've run into all sorts of danger! "I'm sorry," the girl said, grabbing the reins from Mrs. Larkenson, "but I've got to borrow him."

"Eh, what are you on about?" the woman asked.

"My friends are out there, and we don't know why Grain isn't with them," Hinata explained. "He could have thrown his rider or they could have fallen off or been attacked-"

"I got ya,' Honey," Mrs. Larkenson said, helping Hinata onto the Ponyta.

After that was done, the woman grabbed the horse's muzzle and looked him in the eye. "Listen carefully, Grain. I want you to take this little lady to wherever it is her friends are, ya' hear? And you be good for her, understand?"

Grain whinnied in agreement, hoping the girl would be a better rider than that brat.

"Thank you!" Hinata called, kicking off. As she road, the girl became aware that the only Pokémon she had with her was Waltz, a Metapod that was unable to move…

0o0o0

**Back at the Pond…**

0o0o0

"Bayushi, Quick Attack!" Sasuke shouted.

"Waterlily, Slam!" Sakura added.

The Eevee zipped around his Buizel foe, tackling him from behind, while Waterlily tossed herself, tail first, at the other one.

Meanwhile, Akodo, Rhapsody, and the lead Buizel were trapped in a confused tango of scratching, biting, punching, and sparking. While the Totodile was trying desperately to separate the others, the Shinx and Buizel were fighting each other all out.

However, in a blur of movement, a newcomer was in-between them; Kata stood ankle-deep in the water, forcing the two fighters apart. "Rio," he said firmly, ordering them to stop.

"Shinx!" Akodo hissed, preparing to use another Spark.

Kata's eyes flashed, and a Force Palm erupted from his hand, sending Akodo flying out of the water. "Lu," the Riolu whispered, turning to the Buizel and daring it to try attacking.

The lead Buizel grit his teeth for a moment, grinding down on the weed in his mouth; this Riolu was tough, and was fresh for a fight, not exhausted like he was. Growling, the Buizel nodded.

Rhapsody jumped up, cheering. However, his victory dance was cut short by Sasuke's shout.

"Kata, what are you doing!?" The boy ran over, helping Akodo up. He then pointed at the Buizel accusingly. "He's our enemy!"

Behind him, Sakura, Bayushi, and Waterlily had broken away from the fighting, appearing behind Sasuke. Meanwhile, their Buizel foes had moved to help their injured leader out of the water, having backed down after seeing him do the same.

"No he's not!" Naruto ran over to them, standing between the trainers and the Water Pokémon. "We're the bad guys here!"

"Naruto, what are you talking about," Sasuke hissed, "that thing attacked us first, and it's the Pokémon that hurt Ann's Mareep and has been causing all the trouble for the Larkensons!"

"Yeah," Sakura agreed.

Instead of moving to the side, the blond boy stomped his foot defiantly. "You're stupid! Look at what you've done!"

Naruto waved his hand over the pond, and what the other trainers saw was enough to make them take a step back; Sakura even covered her mouth.

The Magikarp and Goldeen that had been swimming in the pond peacefully a few minutes ago were now floating belly up, knocked out.

After showing them the damage done in the water, Naruto pointed at the shore; several of the Pokémon that hadn't been involved in the fighting were huddled together in fear.

"Do you see what you've done?" Naruto asked slowly, "this is their territory, their **home**. You violated the sanctity of it; how can you expect them to do anything but attack you for doing that?"

Sasuke thought for a moment. "How could we have done all this?"

"Akodo's Electric attacks," Sakura gasped. "When he was in the water, he was shocking everything in it; not just the Buizel…"

The dark-haired boy looked down at his Shinx, who shrieked down in shame at his actions. "…I guess you're right, Naruto," he sighed, looking away. "But, why did the Buizel attack Ann's Mareep, or the farm's other Pokémon?"

Before anyone could think about that, a girl's call drew their attention.

"Naruto!" Grain galloped over, baring Hinata on his back. "Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, you're alright!"

Quietly, Naruto scoffed. "Sure, the Ponyta's goes fast for _her_."

"Hinata, what are you doing here?" Sakura asked, helping the other girl down.

"Grain came back without Naruto," Hinata explained as Rhapsody jumped up into her arms in a joyful hug, "so I thought something bad might have happened to him."

"Something bad did happen," Naruto hissed, "that stupid Ponyta tried to charbroil me."

The girl was about to respond when she noticed the devastation around her. "Wh-what happened?"

Sighing, Naruto launched into a long explanation of everything, as he knew it.

When the boy ended his tale, Sasuke added, "But we still don't know why the Buizel was attacking the farm in the first place."

"Buizel!" the lead Water-type hissed, pointing at Akodo accusingly.

The Shinx hissed back, but Sasuke stepped between them, saying, "What's the matter? Akodo isn't doing anything to you now; stop antagonizing him."

"Bui Buizel!" the Buizel growled, stomping his feet and pantomiming something. He pointed at his injured friends, then waved his hands and winced like he was in pain, pointing at Akodo, but then holding his hands around his body like he was fat.

The four trainers were silent while their Pokémon gasped, trying to explain what was said to their trainers.

"…I don't get it," Naruto finally said, rubbing his head while Kata tried to spell out the problem.

"What are you trying to tell us?" Sakura asked, causing the Buizel to stomp his feet in frustration and try pantomiming it out again.

After a few more minutes, Hinata got it. "You mean Mareep, right?" the girl asked as the lead Buizel pointed at Akodo, who was puffing up his cheeks and making his hair stand on end to look big and fluffy.

The Pokémon all cheered, and the Buizel then pointed at his injured friends, making painful faces and then pointed at Akodo again.

"Okay, so what does this mean?" Sasuke asked, looking at Bayushi for an answer.

Something dawned in Sakura's head. "Let me have a look at those Pokémon," the girl said, walking over to the injured Water-types on shore.

The two other Buizel tried to cut her off, but the lead one signaled for them to let her pass.

It took only a few moments for Sakura to find what she was looking for. "These injuries were inflicted by Electric attacks," she announced. "You can tell; look, these burns here are from an electrical current entering the body."

"But what does that have to do with the Mareep-" Naruto stopped talking when he realized how stupid the question was. "-wait, you saying those Mareep attacked these Pokémon?"

"And so the Buizel attacked them and the farm in retaliation," Sasuke summarized.

The lead Buizel nodded, twirling the weed-straw in his mouth.

"But that can't be right," Hinata protested. "You don't think Ann or Mr. Larkenson would let their Mareep do that?"

The Buizel growled. _How dare this human defend the scum?_

"I think I might know what happened," Sakura said. She stepped over to the group, thinking for a moment. "Mareep build up electrical charges in their wool, right? Wouldn't it be possible that maybe while the Mareep were drinking water, they accidently loosed some of their electricity into the water, thereby harming the Water-types nearby? After all, the Larkensons are new to Mareep herding; they might not know how to train their Mareep in how to keep their charges to themselves."

At this, the lead Buizel nodded smugly.

Naruto smiled. "So, I guess all that's left is to go find the Larkneson's and tell them-"

The boy was interrupted by a whooping shout. Mr. Larkenson and his children appeared, riding down at them, John's Electrike flying like a comet.

"Look, they found the varmint!" John shouted. "Dandelion, use Thunderbolt!"

"No, wait!" Hinata shouted, "You don't understand!"

The girl was simply ignored as the Electrike loosed a bolt of lightning at the grouped Water Pokémon; the blast scattered the injured Pokémon like leaves.

"Buizel!" the leader screeched, firing a Water Gun at the flying Electrike; his attack hit home, shooting her out of the sky.

"Stop it!" Hinata cried, turning to Naruto. "Do something!"

"Dandy!" John shouted. However, his Pokémon jumped to her feet quickly, shaking off the water. Dandelion wasted no more time; she built up a charge and fired a Thunderbolt strait at her foe.

The lead Buizel closed his eyes, bracing himself…however, the attack didn't come. "Bui?" he asked, opening his eyes.

Naruto had jumped in and taken the attack. "…Stop attacking…you toothless hillbillies!" the boy croaked, falling over.

0o0o0

**The next day…**

0o0o0

Naruto woke up in a soft bed; he was surrounded by his friend and the Larknesons. "Am I dead?"

"You think a measly Thunderbolt kill you?" Sasuke laughed, "please, you're tougher than a Shuckle."

"What happened?" the blond asked, ignoring his friend.

"After you were knocked out, we finally got the Larkenson's to stop and listen to what we had to say," Sakura explained.

"I am not a hillbilly!" John added indignantly.

"Regardless, we were able to stop them from attacking, and now they understand why the Buizel was causing so much trouble," Sakura concluded.

"We're really, really sorry for zappin' you like that," Ann said.

Her father, however, was less sensitive. "The boy was dumb enough to jump in the way of a Thunderbolt; why should we be apologizin'?"

"I think there's a more important matter to talk about now," John interjected. He really didn't want an argument to break out, not to mention, the blond boy could probably sue them for what had happened last night if they weren't lucky. "We need to think of what to do now. How are we supposed to water our flock if they keep electrocuting everything that's swimming nearby?"

"We might have to get rid of them," Mrs. Larkenson suggested, getting a dark look from her husband and daughter.

Surprisingly, Naruto spoke up. "I have an idea…"

0o0o0

**At the river…**

0o0o0

"Puck, I choose you!" Naruto shouted, holding out his Pokéball.

The Furret appeared cheerfully. "Fur-fur!"

The team and the Larkneson's had gathered to a riverbank, with the Buizel and his gang watching from a safe distance. Though they had stopped fighting, the Water Pokémon still trusted the farmers only as far as they could throw them.

"What are you planning, Naruto?" Sakura asked, tilting her head.

The boy looked at them all and smiled. "Watch this; Puck, use Dig to make a canal in the river!"

"Fur-RET!" Smiling, Puck dove into the ground. He kept halfway out of the dirt, sending it flying everywhere as he worked. After five minutes, a wet, muddy Furret jumped up, saluting as he finished his job; aside from Naruto, who stood waiting, everyone else dove out of the way to avoid being covered in dirt.

"Check it out!" the boy laughed. He pointed at the water canal his Pokémon had made. "Now all you need to do is put a net at where it connects to the river to keep Water Pokémon out of it, and you'll have a safe place where your Mareep can get a drink without risking hurting anyone!"

"You just might have a point there, boy," Mr. Larkenson murmured, looking over the work. "We can make a whole bunch of these down the river and keep our Pokémon watered and the wild ones safe."

"That's really clever of you, Naruto!" Sakura cheered, clapping him on the back.

"Clever enough for you to give me a good-job kiss?" the boy asked hopefully.

The girl responded by punching him in the face.

After he recovered, Naruto looked up at the Pokémon in the river. "Well, what do you guys think? Will you stop attacking the Larkenson's farm if they keep their Mareep away from the river?"

The lead Buizel looked to his comrades, asking their take, before turning back and nodding. "Bui bui!"

"Yeah!"

After everyone was finished cheering and thanking the kids for all the help they'd done, Sasuke spoke up. "Okay, now that everyone else has lived happily ever after, can we _please_ get back to going to Sproutingdale?"

0o0o0

**Later…**

0o0o0

"I can't believe how much time we wasted," Sasuke groaned. He and the rest of the group were now walking down the road, having left the Larkenson farm far behind. "We would have been at Sproutingdale by now if we just kept going yesterday."

"Ah, stop complaining," Naruto quibbled. "You're just mad you didn't catch a clever, sneaky Pokémon like you planned."

"Shove it," Sasuke snapped back.

"Well, I'm glad we stopped," Sakura said with a smile. "It was nice meeting Ann and her family."

"We helped humans and Pokémon find peace," Hinata added, "that was a good thing to do."

"Yeah, and what do we have to show for it?" Sasuke spat bitterly.

Next to him, Naruto sighed. "It would have been cool if I got to catch that Buizel. He was pretty hardcore, taking on Electric-types without fear..."

Suddenly, Bayushi's ears perked up. "Eevee?" The Pokémon looked around, jumping down from Sasuke's shoulder.

"What is it boy?" his owner asked.

As if to answer the boy's question, the Buizel they were talking about stepped outside a bush, smirking with his arms crossed. "Buizel," he said, smiling.

"Hey, speak of the devil, look who it is," Naruto laughed. "What are you doing here?"

"Bui bui!" the Buizel announced, walking over to Naruto and shaking the boy's hand.

"Eh?" the blond responded, confused. "You wanna thank me for savin' you from that Thunderbolt? Ah, don't mention it."

The Buizel sighed, shaking his head.

Sakura spoke up. "I think maybe the Buizel wants more than to thank you, Naruto."

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"He wants to be your Pokémon," Sasuke explained, a bit jealous.

"Buizel!" the Sea Weasel Pokémon cheered, pointing at a Pokéball on Naruto's belt.

The boy smiled big. "Really? That's soooo cool!" He reached over and hugged the Buizel, who quickly squirmed free.

"Zel!" he hissed, striking a dignified pose.

Hinata giggled. "Looks like your new friend doesn't like it when you ruin his cool image."

Naruto smirked. "Well, you better get used to it…what did you say your name was again, buddy?"

"Bui?" the Buizel asked. He crossed his arms and twirled the straw weed in his mouth as he thought. "Bui-bui…Buizel…"

"How about Torrent?" Sakura suggested.

The Buizel shook his head.

"Knave?" Hinata piped in.

The Buizel tilted his head for a few seconds before shaking it no.

"How about Yoritomo?" Sasuke said.

He was answered with a Water Gun to the face.

"Zel!" the Buizel hissed, spitting out his tongue.

"I think that's a no," Sakura laughed.

"What about Jet?" Naruto suggested with a smile.

"That sound's cool," Hinata pointed out. ""

"Bui! Bui!" The Buizel jumped up and down at the sound of this, nodding vigorously.

"You like that name?" Naruto said, smiling. "Well then, I dub thee Jet! Welcome to the gang!"

0o0o0

0-o-0

**Author's Notes:**

Hi everyone! I just want to point out a few things:

Yes, there was a vote on Naruto catching a Pokémon, and Buizel was NOT on that list. That is because Naruto is still catching Larvitar (or Gligar or Sandlie if a surge of last-minute voting comes in), but that isn't going to be for a few chapters, and Naruto really needs some fresh blood in his team. Haha.

The eggs are hatching in two chapters, so if you want to give out some last minutes suggestions, feel free to shout them out!

Lastly, next chapter, Hinata, Sakura, and _maybe_ Ino are going to all try and catch a cute Pokémon. I won't say what it is, but I will listen to suggestions. Anyway, I want to know who you think should catch it. Should it be Ino, Sakura, Hinata, or none of them? It may be a Teddiursa, or Meowth, Buneary, or Minccino, or something else cute, if you can think it up. Thanks.

Anyway, I'm back in college now, so I'll be a busier now; hopefully, I'll still be able to keep on posting my chapters semi-regularly. My brother and my birthdays are coming up this week, so wish us a good one!


	15. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer**

Let me just start out with the standard Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, Pokémon, or any of the associated or mentioned franchises/companies, and I am not making a profit on this.

The image I am using was made by BlissfulGold on , and I am using it with their permission. Please check out they DeviantART page sometime. 

**Review Response**

**the black shinobi**: Thanks for your idea. I will consider it, but I'm hesitant to make OCs related to real characters. Thank you very much, however.

**IamnotTHATbad**: Hahaha, thanks for your impute. Your advice is appreciated. You a few others have strongly stated that Meowth is many things, but cute is not one of them. Interesting.

**wyvren97**: Thanks for your suggestions. As for Kiba and the rest of the Rookie Nine, they're gonna make appearances eventually.

**xXHeavengirlXx**: Thank you for your advice and suggestions. Long reviews fill me with happy, so don't worry about it. Cherrim, Dragonite, and Milotic are all solid choices for Sakura.

**Zuko Uzumaki**: . Thanks for your ideas; Ralts sounds like someone who would fit with Hinata. Lots of people want Naruto got get Pikachu...interesting. Love your penname, by the by.

**Kiue Jin**: Welcome to my fic, and that story was..._interesting_, in a morbid sort of way. Thank you for your impute.

**blue-hart**: Thank you very much for that interesting private message. I do enjoy those. Haha, your help is appreciated.

Okay, all my loyal readers, a few things before we get this show on the road. Thank you all once again for your advice and dedication for reading my fic, and for putting up with my lazy butt and waiting for the next chapter. Ha-ha, thanks again.

Anyway, after thinking about it, the eggs are NOT going to hatch next chapter. The team has had barely any time with them, and they should have some troubles regarding the eggs before the just come out and catch, otherwise its like handing them two rare Pokémon for free.

Okay, next chapter, I think either Kiba or Rock Lee will appear, Sakura may catch a Pokémon, or both. Let me know what you think about those options. And without further staling, here's my long-awaited new chapter! Enjoy!

-0-

0o0o0

Pokémon Konoha

Chapter 12

"So this is Sproutingdale," Naruto mused, looking around. "It sure is homey."

As the group walked through the city, they had to agree with the blond. Many of Sproutingdale's buildings where no taller than two stories and looked like they came out of Granny Tsunade's childhood picture album. The streets where wide and dirt-trodden, and lots of trees and shrubbery dotted the landscape. Overall, the city gave the young people the feeling they were walking 50 years into the past.

Sakura took out her Pokénav and flipped on the guidebook feature. "Hmm, it says here that Sproutingdale city is almost 100 years old. It's residences work hard to maintain its classical image and traditional ways; Sproutingdale has a low crime-rate, a relatively clean environment, and is considered a good place to raise kids…if you don't mind giving up some of the more technologically advanced parts of life."

"Yeah, yeah," Sasuke cut in, "it's big, it's old, and they don't have internet. Skip to the interesting stuff."

"Vee," Bayushi agreed, looking from Sasuke's shoulder over at the nav's screen.

Snorting at the boy's disinterest in history, Sakura sighed and looked at the device. "Hmm, it says here that Sproutingdale once had a very popular Grass-type gym…"

Naruto and Sasuke both lit up at this bit of news.

"…but it closed down soon after Teal Town's Pokémon Academy was named a League sponsored gym," Sakura ended mischievously.

The two boys quickly deflated.

"Why'd you get our hope up like that?" Naruto demanded crossly. Next to him, Sasuke and Bayushi nodded vigorously in agreement.

"You need learn to appreciate stuff other than battles," Sakura said smartly. "There is more to life then the Pokémon League, you know."

The two boys snorted. "Yeah, like what?" they asked mockingly in unison.

Sighing, Sakura looked away. "Uncultured barbarians," she hissed.

"Look, the Pokémon Center," Hinata jumped in, not wanting a fight to break out.

The building the girl pointed to looked no different from the other stores, save its sign having the Pokémon League's logo on it. Even then, being made of wood and not brightly lit, it took some time for the others to see it.

"Cool," Naruto cheered, "we need to heal up anyway. Let's go!"

As soon as they walked through the front door, Sasuke knew this center was as old-fashioned as the rest of the town; for one, it lacked automatic doors and the boy had to instead hold the door for the girls (he let it slam into Naruto, however). The inside looked more like a home then a medial facility. The floors were carpeted, the walls were papered with a warm, happy pattern, and the furniture was all padded and comfy looking. At the front desk, a pleasant, plump, dark skinned woman with both a nurse's hat and a polka-dot apron on. 'Mama May,' was printed on her name-tag.

"Why, hello there, dearies," the woman said warmly, "Welcome to the Sproutingdale PokéCenter. My names Maybel Kay, but folks just call me Mama May."

"Hello," Sakura greeted, nodding. "I'm Sakura Haruno, and this is Naruto Uzumaki, Sasuke Uchiha, and that's Hinata Hyuga," the girl explained, pointing to each of her friends in turn. "We'd like to check in our Pokémon, Ma'am."

Mama May smiled. "Certainly, my dears. Just hand them over and I'll make them better in no time at all." After the youngsters turned over their teams, the nurse added, "Oh, and why don't you go take a load off in the lounge? I've got some fresh-baked cookies that need to be eaten; you wouldn't happen to like chocolate chips, would you?"

"That's not necessary-" Sasuke began, but he was quickly interrupted by Naruto, who was all too happy to accept her offer.

After the group was seated comfortably and had a steaming plate of chocolate chip cookies and four glasses of milk before them, Mama May nodded and turned to return to her work. "I'll go see to your Pokémon now, dearies; feel free to call if you need me."

"What a nice lady," Naruto said as the woman disappeared past the doorway. He grabbed a cookie and bit in. "And her cookies are great!"

"That's nice," Sasuke responded nonchalantly, leaning back.

"Sasuke," Sakura asked, looking at him curiously, "don't you want any cookies? Naruto's right, they are very good."

"Don't worry; Sasuke doesn't like sweets," Naruto explained between a mouthful of chocolate chip.

The girl's eyebrows rose up. "What kind of kid says no to a plate of hot cookies?"

"The Uchiha kind, apparently," Sasuke said drolly.

"Well, more for us then," Naruto laughed. "Mmmmh!"

"Chew with your mouth closed," Sakura instructed sternly, disgusted once again by Naruto's lack of table manners. Sighing, she carefully pulled the egg case containing the lavender one up from where she had set it down and looked it over, using the special scanner in herPokénav. "Well, this one's still okay. Sasuke, can you pass me the yellow one, please?"

Nodding silently, the boy lifted the case he had been carrying up and handed to the girl; Sakura had insisted that each of them take turns tending to the eggs, so it had been his turn to watch over one of them.

"Thank you," the pink-haired girl smiled, scanning the yellow egg. "Well, this one's great too. Wish this thing could tell us how long 'till they hatch."

"Hey, what do you think they're gonna be when they hatch?" Naruto asked brightly.

Sakura rolled her eyes. "Naruto, you've asked that at least a hundred times already! The answer is still no, there's no way I can tell what they are going to hatch into!"

The blond boy scowled. "Yeah, but that ain't what I asked, is it? I said what do _**you**_ think the eggs are, not if your gizmo could tell us. Why not have some fun and take a guess?"

"Oh," Sakura grunted, feeling a bit bad for yelling at him now. "Well…I guess a Vulpix would be really cute."

"They are, but boy do they have attitude," Naruto said, waving his arms out. "I mean, step on their tail _once_ and BAM, you've just earned their mother's fiery wrath for the rest of your life! I'm talkin' Flamethrowers in the middle of the night while you're sleeping peacefully!"

"…do I want to know how you figured this out?" Sakura asked slowly, morbidly curious.

"I think a Clefairy would be nice," Hinata confessed shyly, looking up hopefully.

"Oh, those are sweet Pokémon," Sakura agreed.

Privately, Sasuke noted the girls seemed more hopeful that the eggs would hatch into cute Pokémon then strong ones; typical!

Naruto seemed to notice too, judging by the way he turned his face away and grinned. "What about you, Sasuke?" he asked.

"A Gyarados," the responded quickly, saying the strong Pokémon he could think of. Ignoring the other's comments on his choice, Sasuke looked around for something to occupy himself with. Spotting a local newspaper, the boy picked it up and scanned the front page. As he did so, a small smile crept on his face. "Hey, check this out," the boy interrupted, reading off the story that interested him so, "'_Mystery Pokémon continues to cause chaos in park_.'"

"Oooh, sounds interesting," Naruto mused. "What's it about? And why's there no pictures?"

"Did you even hear the title?" Sakura snapped angrily. "If they had a picture of the Pokémon, they wouldn't call it a mystery, would they?"

Ignoring the two, Sasuke sped-read the story and summarized it. "Looks like there's a Pokémon hiding out in the local park; it's been stealing food and damaging property, apparently; the thing is so much trouble, the police are even offering a reward for its capture now."

"Ooh, let me see," Sakura requested, reaching for the paper. She read the last part, sucking in air through her teeth. "$100; it's not a big reward, that's for sure, but money's money."

"It's probably a way of paying trainers for any expenses they have trying to catch it, if anything," Hinata said smartly, "it's not like a bounty on a criminal, after all."

"Heck, considering you get to keep the beasty, it's like they're givin' away free money!" Naruto pointed out.

Sasuke nodded. "Besides, this Pokémon's outsmarting the local police; whatever it is, it sounds like the kind of Pokémon I'd like to add to my team."

"Ya' know," his blond friend added craftily, "last time you said that, Sasuke old friend, _**I **_ended up catching an _**awesome**_ Buizel and _**you**_ ended up empty handed."

"Yeah, that's _real_ funny," Sasuke growled, grabbing Naruto in a headlock.

"Ah! Sakura, Hinata, save me!"

**0o0o0**

_**Later, at the Park…**_

**0o0o0**

The four stood at the park entrance, looking over the scenery. Without a doubt, it was a pleasant, family-oriented place…save of course that is was practically empty.

"No one's here," Sasuke mused quietly. "Good, then I've got no competition."

"What about me!?" Naruto spat indigently. "Ever think that I might wanna catch the Pokémon?"

"Don't be a baby, Naruto," Sakura hissed, "you just caught Jet yesterday! Let Sasuke have a turn!"

Naruto looked slyly at his dark-haired friend. "Hear that, Sasuke," he asked in singsong, "Sakura thinks I should give you a turn at catching Pokémon, 'cause I'm so awesome that I need to go easy for ya- GHAA!"

The young boy found himself unable to continue his taunt as Sasuke's lighting fast, steel-like fingers wrapped themselves around his throat.

"Sasuke, stop that!" Hinata protested, moving to separate the two.

Sighing, Sakura looked away. "Boys…will be boys, won't they, Waterlily?"

"Azu," the Water-type agreed, watching as the two males continued to hiss taunts and threats at each other.

"If you two keep fighting like this, you'll never find the mystery Pokémon," Hinata pointed out desperately.

This got the boys to calm down quickly.

"She's right," Naruto nodded, looking back at the park. "But how are we gonna find the beastie? The police haven't been able to."

Sasuke shrugged arrogantly. "My father says cops in small towns like this are useless for anything but getting Meowths out of trees."

Sakura frowned. "Not to be disrespectful, but your dad sounds like a judgmental, vain man."

"He is," Naruto said in a loud whisper.

Much to Hinata's surprise, Sasuke didn't seem upset at this insult.

Sasuke led them into the park, going over to a set of picnic tables in a nice clearing.

"According to the newspaper, the Pokémon that's causing all the trouble likes to steal food from this area," he explained, looking around. "Bayushi, see if you can smell anything unusual."

"Veeeee," the Eevee growled coldly, jumping off his trainer's shoulder. Bayushi has treated his trainer with a clear aloofness; the reason for this being that the Pokémon could smell the delicious chocolate-chip cookies the kids had feasted on, yet no one had the decency to save any for him. Outrageous!

The Eevee sniffed the air, walking in circles for a few seconds before looked up at his trainer and shaking his head 'no,' giving no small amount of attitude in his body langue as he did so. Briefly, Sasuke wondered what Bayushi was upset about now before turning to the rest of the group and asking, "Well, any of you got any ideas?"

"Maybe we can set out some food, and hide in the bushes?" Sakura suggested. "Then, we could wait and see if the mystery Pokémon even shows up."

"I suppose that could work," Sasuke sighed.

"Oh come on, that sounds boring!" Naruto protested. "I say we spread out and look for the thing instead!"

"We don't even know what the Pokémon looks like, Naruto," Sakura pointed out smugly. "Besides, sitting still might teach you a little patience."

"We don't even have bait to lay out," the boy retorted smartly, "unless you're suggesting we leave out the last of our supplies…"

"Wait a minute, you guys," Hinata begged, rummaging through her backpack, "I've still got some of the chocolate-chip cookies Mama May gave us in a Ziploc bag somewhere in here…"

All at once, Bayushi froze in place, looking at the girl vary intently. "Eevee?"

"I thought a few of them disappeared," Naruto laughed as the girl finally rescued the bag from the depths of her pack. "Looks like you've been keeping a secret stash from us, eh, Hinata?"

"Naruto, shut it!" Sakura hissed quietly, stomping on the boy's foot as he teased the shy girl playfully.

"N-no," the girl protested, shaking her head vigorously. "I-I just thought we should save a few for later, honest!"

"Hey, we believe you," the blond said quickly, raising his hands. "I was just having some fun with you."

Hinata calmed down, smiling slightly. "Thank you- AHHH!"

A bolt of white leapt up, snatching the Ziploc away for the girl; laughing maniacally, Bayushi retreated under a picnic table with his catch.

"Bayushi!" Sasuke scolded, reaching underneath the table after his Pokémon, pulling him out by the scruff of the neck. "Bad boy! You know better than to steal like that!"

"Veeeee," Bayushi cried, trying desperately to keep hold of the bag as his trainer pulled it away from him. "Vee Eev Eevee!" he protested accusingly, pointing longingly at the bag of cookies.

Much to everyone's surprise, Waterlily joined in. "Azurill-rill," she called, looking at the cookies eagerly.

"Ah, you want some cookies, don't you, baby?" Sakura cooed, understanding dawning on her. "Now that I think about it, we really should have saved a few for the little guys."

"Eevee!" Bayushi agreed, nodding fervently.

Sasuke snorted. "Sheesh, you guys are so spoiled. Fine, if you want a cookie that badly, then I suppose there's no harm in-"

"Wait a second!" Naruto protested, holding out his hands. "What about my Pokémon? It's not fair if Bayushi and Waterlily are the only ones to get special treatment!"

"Naruto's right," Hinata said softly. She counted the cookies in the bag. "Hmm, 10 left, that's enough for each of our Pokémon to have one."

"Hey, that's perfect!" Naruto laughed. He took out all three of his Pokéballs and tossed them into the air. "Kata, Puck, Jet, come on out!"

Three flashes of light, and the boy's three Pokémon appeared.

"Rio?" Kata asked, looking at his companions questioningly.

"Buuui," Jet responded, shrugging.

"You might as well come out now too, Jane," Sakura said, calling her Mankey out.

Jane materialized, sniffing around. She spotted Jet, and scowled, stomping her feet; the Mankey had not forgotten the slimy Buizel or the underhanded trick he used to beat her just the other day.

Seeing Jane's anger, Jet sneered, growling and winking. "Bui-bui," he whistled.

BAM!

Half a second later, the Buizel found himself flat on his back, Jane's foot pressed squarely on this chest, and his wheat stalk stolen and placed in the Mankey's mouth as she mocked him.

"Hey! Get your brut offa my Buizel you brut!" Naruto shouted at Sakura, pointing an accusing finger at scene.

"A-ha!" Sakura laughed, pulling Jane away before a fight could break out, "Why don't you tell Jet not to tease Jane? Maybe then she wouldn't beat him! And don't call her a brut!"

"Don't start fighting again," Hinata begged, physically stepping between the two. Meanwhile, Kata helped Jet to his feet while Puck was rolling around in the dirt, laughing his stripes off.

After getting her friends to cool off, Hinata let out her two Pokémon.

While Waltz was utterly unmoving and silent (as always), Rhapsody did a happy twirl, stretching out, much to Waterlily's blushing amusement. Tilting his head, he spotted Jet and rushed over, eager to greet a new friend.

"Todile-to!" he announced, shacking the fellow Water-type's paw.

"That's right," Hinata admitted shyly, "you didn't get to meet Jet since he joined this morning; I should have thought of that."

"Ah, don't sweat it, girl," Naruto reassured her, "none of us did. Hey, Sasuke, you should call out your boys too-"

Before he finished, Togashi was already chatting happily with the newest addition to the team; meanwhile, Akodo eyed him from his master's side suspiciously.

Sasuke looked at his friend and snorted. "What? I gotta wait my turn to let my Pokémon out now?" He plopped himself down on a picnic table, sighing. "Okay, now that the niceties are over, let's talk about what we're gonna do about the mystery Pokémon."

"Just a second, Sasuke," Sakura said, holding up the bag of cookies, "we still need to give these out."

A choir of cheers echoed out in approved around her feet. Even Akodo ran over gleefully, though he looked to Sasuke for approval first, and kept a good distance from Jet still.

"Okay, guys," Sakura laughed, starting to open the bag, "who's hungry?"

GRRRRRRRR!

Suddenly, everything became quiet as all eyes looked at the source of the sound: Sasuke.

Keeping very still, Sasuke thought for a moment. "…that wasn't me. It was a Pokémon hiding behind me. Let's go look for-"

GRRRRRRR!

This time, the hungry growl came unmistakably from the boy's stomach.

"That still wasn't me," Sasuke lied smoothly, but another growl of hungry filled the air as he said it.

"Well, that answers Sakura's question," Naruto joked. "Why didn't you tell us you're hungry, boy? I'm starving too, ya know. Let's all eat!"

"You're always hungry, you bottomless pit," Sasuke snapped, but Sakura nodded approvingly at the blond's idea.

"Naruto's right! We could all go for some lunch; besides, we shouldn't be giving out snacks to our Pokémon before we feed them a real meal."

Cries off protest rang out around her from the Pokémon at her feet.

"Says the girl that ate more than half the cookies on the plate not 15 minute ago," Naruto quipped.

Sakura shot him a look before turning to Sasuke. "Come on, we all wanna eat."

The boy rolled his eyes in defeat. "Fine, but then we get to hunting the Pokémon down!"

"Yeah!"

However, everyone's enthusiasm died when they realized that aside from Hinata, they had all left their backpacks at the center.

"Sasuke said we shouldn't carry around anything we don't need so it wouldn't slow us down," Naruto said defensively. "How was I supposed to know we'd have a picnic? If anything, this is _his_ fault! Besides, you left yours too!"

"Why don't we just buy food?" Sasuke suggested, not wanting an argument to break out.

"No way," Sakura retorted, looking at her nav's map. "The closest restaurant in this town is a half-a-mile away; I'm not going to hike that far for a burger and then back here."

"How about one of us go and bring the food back here?" Hinta suggested.

"Good idea," Sasuke nodded. "And the rest of us can discuss what to do about the mystery Pokémon."

"He's really obsessed with that, isn't he?" Naruto whispered to Hinata, earning her giggle in response.

"Okay," Sakura agreed. "Now, which of us is going to go?"

No one answered.

"Right," the girl growled, running her hand through her hair. "How about we play Fire-Grass-Water to choose who goes?"

Everyone nodded; that was fair.

The four got in a circle, their Pokémon watching in mild interest. "One, two, three!"

At once, the gang threw out their hands palm-up in the shape of their chosen element.

"Fire!" Sasuke growled, his hand held with his fingers curled aggressively, emanating a burning flame.

"Grass!" Sakura said, her fingers held together, forming a leaf shape.

"W-Water," Hinata stuttered, her fingers spread out to mimic water flowing outward.

"Pokéball!" Naruto shouted, his hand held in a fist.

"!?"

Slowly, the other three turned to look at the blond boy.

"…what?" he asked innocently, "Pokéball catches Fire, Grass, and Water-types; it wins!"

0o0o0

"This stinks," Naruto grumbled, walking up the road with Puck bounding at his side. For some reason, the team drafted him to get lunch after his little 'Pokéball' stunt; couldn't they take a joke!? Not only that, but Kata and Jet decided to stay and play with the others' Pokémon. "Looks like it's just you and me, eh Puck?"

The Furret nodded dopily. He heard the boy was going to get food, so of course, he wanted to come.

"Now, let's see," Naruto mused, taking out his Pokénav and checking the map. "According to this, that burger joint Sakura told us to go to should be-"

"Furret!" Without warning, Puck zipped off to the left, leaving his trainer in the dust.

"Hey, where are you goin'!?" Naruto shouted, running after him, "Wait for me!"

He rounded the corner, and found Puck just sitting up and starring at something.

"Puck, why did you run…of…like…that?" Naruto said, slowly trailing off as he saw what made his Furret so excited.

"Fuuuuur," Puck cooed, sniffing the air happily.

"Yeah, you're right buddy," the boy said softly, stepping forward. "Forget was Sakura said; this is way better."

0o0o0

_**Meanwhile, back at the camp…**_

0o0o0

"Now, before you can have the cookies, you'll have to eat lunch," Sakura explained. "So that means you'll all have to wait." She set the bag of cookies down on the table next to her.

The Pokémon all nodded in agreement, but as soon as her back was turned, a sly look appeared on Bayushi's face. The Eevee then wasted no time in slinking to the table and jumping up onto the bench while Sakura was preoccupied talking to Sasuke. Suppressing an evil laugh of success, Bayushi reached for the bag-

"Shix Shix!" Barking angrily, Akodo suddenly jumped up next to the Eevee and shoved him away, alerting their trainers to what was going on.

"Bayushi, you naughty boy!" Sakura said crossly. "I said no cookies until after lunch!"

"Eev," Bayushi replied innocently, lowering his ears and making his eyes big; a halo seemed to float over his silver head.

"That ain't gonna work this time, buddy," Sasuke hissed angrily. He picked up the Eevee by the scruff and set him on the ground. "If I catch you trying to sneak a cookie again, I swear I'll call you back into your Pokéball and keep you there for the rest of the day! Do I make myself clear?"

Whimpering in fear at the mere thought of being cooped up in at wicked ball, Bayushi backed up with his tail between his legs and ears lowered, nodding meekly.

"Good," his trainer said, turning to Akodo. "Akodo, that was good of you to stop Bayushi from stealing the cookies; I'm proud." Sasuke gave him an affectionate scratch on the ear, and continued. "Now, I think you're responsible enough to watch the cookies without being tempted to eat them, right?"

"Shi Shinx!" Akodo purred, standing up strait and looking very proud of himself.

"Good boy," Sasuke laughed, giving him one more pat before walking away from the table.

"Oh, Bayushi is gonna be jealous," Sakura pointed out, walking next to the boy. Beside them, Hinata followed, nodding in agreement.

"Good," Sasuke replied curtly, "I want Bayushi to realize just how upset I am with him; if I'm not firm now, he'll just keep on stealing what he wants from people and disobeying the rules, and I will not allow that."

Sakura sighed, hoping this plan of his wouldn't cause any problems. "Very well."

"Now, if that's over, let's get back to business," Sasuke said, holding up Sakura's Pokénav. "Hmm, were could the Mystery Pokémon be?" Unfortunately, the map of the park was a far cry from detailed. "Rrrh, useless contraption; how are we supposed to navigate this place?"

"Calm down Sasuke," Sakura urged, "there' no reason to get angry. We'll find another map; parks always have them posted around the picnic areas."

"There's one over there!" Hinata gasped, pointing.

"Really?" Moving quick as a Ninjask, Sasuke was already looking over the map. "Let's see…we're here, I think."

"No, that can't be right, Sasuke," Sakura pointed out, looking over his shoulder. "There's a lake there. We're at the big red dot."

"That looks like a ketchup stain to me," Hinata said hesitantly.

"Useless hill-people maps," Sasuke hissed, palming his face.

Meanwhile, their Pokémon were having a much, much better time playing.

"Buizel!" Jet cheered, clapping Kata on the back as he sat on one side of the big, flat rock they were using as a table.

"Zu-zu!" Waterlily said encouragingly as Jane took her place on the other side of the rock.

Around them, Bayushi, Togashi, Rhapsody, and Waltz crowded around, giving catcalls of approval. Akodo watched carefully from the table, dutifully continuing the job his master gave him.

The two Fighting-types locked eyes for a few seconds before they both held up their right arms, elbows planted firmly on the rock, and locked their hands together; the traditional starting pose for arm-wrestling.

"Eevee vee Eev, vee," Bayushi explained, acting as the judge for this contest. "EeeeeeeeeeVEE!"

The signal given, Kata and Jane started the match; grunting and growling, the two tried to overpower each other. However, they seemed to be evenly matched.

"Bui Buizel!" Jet howled, encouraging the Riolu to take that unfeminine Mankey _**down**_.

"Azurill!" Waterlily whispered to Jane, telling him not to listen to the stupid Buizel and win it for Mommy!

"Char-char!"

"Totototo!"

Togashi and Rhapsody laughed, one rooting for Jane and the other Kata, though they didn't really care who one; it was all fun.

From the table, Akodo growled at the excellent sport; he couldn't wait 'till it was his turn to choose the game. He'd pick a good, _manly_ spot; like war, or capture the tail…or tag. That was fun. Wait, he couldn't play! Master Sasuke wanted him to guard the cookies from Bayushi; darn that villain!

All the while, Bayushi gave his commentary on the match.

Oh, Kata started to take the advantage!

Now Jane was overpowering him!

Kata better put more oomph in it if he wanted to make a comeback!

Yes! Kata was recovering!

Now the two of them were back to a stalemate; who would be victorious-?

Finally too excited to watch from a distance, Akodo leapt down and ran over, wanting to see up close. Unfortunately, as he pushed his way into the tight circle around the wrestlers, the Shinx shoved Watlz off balance, who helplessly started falling forward. With no way of stopping himself, the Metapod Hardened for impact, and clashed right onto Kata and Jane's hands.

SLAM!

"…" A brief moment of silence followed. Then, the pain finally set in.

"GAAAAAAHHHH!" The two screamed and ran around in circles, cradling their swelling hands.

"What happened?!" Sakura cried running over.

Jane and Kata held up their hands for her to see, making baby faces.

"Oh, you poor dears," Sakura cooed, lifting them up and setting them down of the bench, "I don't have my backpack or any medicine, but maybe a kiss will make it all better?"

As Sakura 'doctored' her patients, with Sasuke asking her what was going on, Hinata went over to the rest of the group to check on them.

Waltz had fallen to one side and Waterlily was now yelling accusingly at Akodo, who looked insulted at the thought of being scolded by a baby. He growled angrily, causing Jet to jump in at the Azurill's defense. Luckily, Rhapsody stepped in and broke them up before a fight could start out.

"Whatever happened, I'm sure it was an accident," Hinata explained, picking her Metapod up and wiping him clean.

"Dile," Rhapsody nodded; that's what he just finished telling them!

The three trainers and their Pokémon all sat down at the table.

"Okay, you know what?" Sakura asked, clapping her hands together, "I think we've waited for Naruto long enough."

"It's only been 10 minutes," Hinata squeaked.

"Well, these guys are hungry now, aren't you, sweeties?" Sakura pointed out, indicating to their Pokémon.

A cheer of approval responded to her.

Smiling, she continued. "Now, I know I said you'd have to wait until after lunch for the cookies, but if you promise to eat your meals, I see no reason why we can't give them to you now." She reached over to where she had left the bag…only to find it gone!

"What the- someone took the cookies!" the pink-haired girl growled getting to her feet. "PUCK, I KNOW IT WAS YOU! BRING THEM BACK, YOU LITTLE THEIF!"

Unnoticed by everyone, Akodo shrank down, his stomach becoming an icy pit.

"Puck's not here!" Sasuke said flatly, putting a finger to the girl's mouth.

"Y-Yeah, and even if he was, you shouldn't jump to conclusions like that anyway!" Hinata added, surprisingly angry.

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry," Sakura responded, holding up her hands. "But, if Puck didn't take them, then where are they?"

"Well, Akodo was watching them," Sasuke pointed out calmly, thinking he must have knocked the bag over in all the commotion. "Well, Akodo, do you know where they are?"

Gulping nervously, the Shinx looked away, shame apparent on his face. "…Shinx shi Shinx," he muttered quietly, though everyone could figure out what he said.

"You don't know?" Sasuke asked, a treble of disbelief in his voice. "I thought I trusted you with the job of watching them; what happened?"

The Shinx's head fell, eyes nearly in tears.

"Please, don't be upset, Sasuke," Hinata begged, coming to the Pokémon's defense. "Everyone was playing! It was natural for Akodo to want to join the fun; you can't be mad at him for that!"

Next to her, Bayushi barked in agreement, surprising both Sasuke and Akodo.

The boy looked at Sakura, who nodded in agreement.

Smiling slightly, Sasuke rubbed Akodo under the chin. "Okay, I understand; you tried you best anyway, and it's not like Bayushi stole them, so you did a good job anyway." He paused, thinking. "But that still doesn't tell us who-?"

A look of realization appeared onto Sasuke's face; he palmed it. "The Mystery Pokémon! It was here! Oh, we're idiots!"

He rounded off to face the entire group. "Well, don't just stand there; look for it!"

All at once, everyone scattered.

0o0o0

Kata and Jet scouted around, looking for any signs of the cookies (Sasuke kept mentioning something about a 'Mystery Pokémon,' but that seemed really secondary compared to cookies). Not too far away, the others also looked around, the trainers with their own Pokémon, and everyone in shouting distance of each other.

"Bui Buizel?" Jet asked, wondering why the funny, Pidgeotto-haired haired human cared so much about catching whatever it was that stole their cookies.

"Riolu," Kata shrugged, not knowing. He then gripped his fist tightly, shaking it violently. "Lu Rio!" However, that mattered little; when _he_ found the thief, oh, he'd make them pay!

Jet gave a hearty laugh at this and clapped Kata on the back.

A twig snapped nearby; shocked, Jet accidentally knocked Kata off his feet. "Bui!" Taking the initiative, the Buizel ran after the noise before Kata could get up.

Grumbling, the Riolu rose, intending on catching Jet and giving him a piece of his mind; however, a soft sound caught his ears.

"Bun, bun, Buneary…" Someone was singing softly to themselves

"Rio?" Curiosity overcoming caution, Kata quietly made his way toward the source of music.

Slowly making his way to a tree, Kata carefully peeked around the edge.

A bipedal, bunny-like Pokémon was standing in a clearing, singing by itself…no, wait, that wasn't right. A **cute**, bipedal, bunny-like Pokémon was **dancing** in a clearing, singing by **her**self.

Kata starred for a few seconds before realizing he had been holding his breath. Breathing in as quietly as he could, the Riolu watched as the Pokémon, a Buneary, sang and danced, pirouetting and moving like water. A blush crept up on Kata's face as he continued to silently watch.

However, the Riolu's stealth was shattered as his knees gave way without warning, causing him to loudly fall flat on this face.

Burning with shock and embarrassment, Kata started to pick himself up quickly, spitting dirt out of his mouth. Maybe, if he moved fast enough, he could get away without being noticed-

"Buneary?"

Too late.

Wincing, Kata opened his eyes to see the cute Buneary holding out her paw, looking down at him, an expression of bewilderment on her face. "Bun Buneary?" she asked, wondering if he was okay.

"R-Riolu," Kata replied dumbly, not sure what to say.

The two were still for a moment before Kata realized she was still holding her paw out for him.

"Ri!" Panicking, Kata grabbed her paw and tried to get up, only to pull her down right atop him!

"Riolu!" Gasping in horror, Kata tried to think of a way to fix the situation; luckily, instead of being mad, the Buneary just got to her feet, and then helped the Riolu up, who was much, **much** more careful this time.

"R-Rio-ri," Kata stammered, trying to find the right words to apologize. He felt so embarrassed, he wished he could just drop dead.

Laughing, the Buneary just waved her hands, dismissing what happened.

Nervously, Kata laughed; maybe her first impression of him could be salvaged yet, he thought hopefully.

Giggling, the Buneary hopped over to a tree stump under a low branch that gave shade. She sat down on a rock covered in soft moss; she motioned for Kata to take a seat next to her.

Still in a slight daze, the Riolu rushed to obey, almost tripping over his feat.

Once he was settled down, the Buneary smiled warmly, happy to have a playmate; she hadn't had one in ages! "Neary bun-bun," she said happily, offering him a cup made from leaves shaped together and filled with sweetened water.

Kata took it, and started to gulp it down before the Buneary slapped his hand in rebuke.

"Buneary eary bun," she explained patently, waving her paw; a gentleman waits for everyone to be served first, and then announces a toast to the hostess of the party.

"Ri-rio," Kata nodded, realizing they were playing.

The Buneary smiled and set up a cup with her 'tea,' and looked at Kata expectantly.

"Uh, Riolu Riolu!" he said nervously, waving his cup high; a few drops spilled, and Kata started to sweat nervously.

Instead of being mad, the Buneary just giggled again and did the same, crashing her cup into his; the two broke and spilled all over the stump-table.

Laughing heartily, the Buneary asked if Kata was hungry. The Riolu said yes without thinking, and she rose for her seat and got something out from under a nearby bush.

Smiling, the Buneary held out a cookie for her guest, her other hand holding the missing bag.

Kata gulped, dread consuming him.

0o0o0

_**Meanwhile...**_

0o0o0

Desperately, Akodo sniffed around; he had to find those cookies! The Shinx was so ashamed of himself. How could he blunder so monumentally when Master gave him such an important task? Especially after Akodo proved how much more dependable he was compared to that villain Bayushi!

A whiff of sweet chocolate in the air caught Akodo's attention. Gasping, he followed the scent; Akodo would find them and Master would be so pleased with him!

Suddenly, the loathsome Jet ran out from a bush, looking around wildly.

Upon spotting the Shinx, the Buizel scoffed darkly. "Buizel zel!" he ordered, telling Akodo to stay out of his way.

Instead of responding, Akodo zipped past him. He didn't have time to deal with that idiot.

Indignity, Jet ran after him. Without warning, the Shinx suddenly skidded to a stop, and Jet ram right into him, causing the two to tumble forward.

The two rose up, about to throw insults and threats at each other, but Jet was silenced when he spotted the reason Akodo had stopped in the first place.

There was Kata, standing with a pretty Buneary, who happened to be holding the bag of cookies! Both Pokémon were looking at the newcomers in surprise.

Akodo wasted no time in running over to the Buneary and barking angrily at her, accusing her of being a thief and various other unflattering things.

"Bui-bui!" Quick as a flash, Jet was between the two, pushing the Shinx back and telling him off for being so insulting to a lady.

"ShiiiiNIX!" Akodo hissed, sparking violently and shoving Jet right back.

As the two started to brawl, Kata forced his way between them, vainly attempting to stop the two. "Rio ri lu!" he begged.

As the three argued, none noticed as the Buneary hopped away, scowling.

0o0o0

_**Meanwhile...**_

0o0o0

"Here you go, kid, two strawberry-vanilla crepes," the chief smiled, setting a pair of plates before Naruto.

"Yeah!" the boy cheered. He passed one plate to Puck, who reacted in kind.

The two were sitting at an food stand that had a big sign that read, 'Little Teddy's Den - Opening special: Buy a crepe, get one free.'

Naruto thought sweet crepes sounded like a better treat than what the gang had planned for lunch, so he and Puck decided to 'test' their taste to see if everyone would like them.

"Teddi?" a small, squeaky voice asked.

Nearby on the counter, a cute, bear-cub-like Pokémon sat, dressed up in a small chief's outfit. Longingly, he held out his paws for a bite.

"Now, now Little Teddy," the chief teased, "those aren't for you." He turned to Naruto and added, "He has such a sweet tooth." Laughing, the man headed to the back for more cooking supplies.

"Hey little Teddiursa; my mom has one of your kind." Naruto said fondly, pulling out his Pokédex, more out of curiosity for what it had to say then actual need to know.

"Teddiursa, the Little Bear Pokémon," it explained. "Teddiursa love sweets, especially honey. They eat so much of it, in fact, that their paws are constantly soaked in it, absorbing the flavor. Because of this, Teddiursa have developed the habit of 'thumb-sucking' their paws. This behavior is often perceived as being adorable and has resulted in them becoming popular pets in spite of their natural strength and difficult to handle when seeking sweets."

Naruto chuckled. "That's true; one time, my Mom's was- Hey!"

While Naruto was looking his species up, Little Teddy had pulled his plate to him and had already eaten half of the crepe.

"You naughty Pokémon!" Naruto shouted, grabbing his plate back and tugging it. "That's mine!"

"Teddiursa!" Teddy whined, slapping the boy's hand with a small-yet-powerful paw. Quick as flash, he grabbed the rest of the crepe and jumped off the counter, making a run for it.

"Why you little pest!" Naruto huffed, chasing after him. "When I get my hands on you, you'll be sorry you ever even tasted sweets!"

Behind him, Puck followed, ready to help his trainer catch the little thief. However, he stopped halfway and turned back. Jumping back over to his plate, Puck concentrated, and -POOF- a Substitute Puck appeared. Saluting the clone, Puck ran off while the double started scarfing down the remains of the meal.

0o0o0

_**Back at the Forest...**_

0o0o0

"Where could it be?" Sasuke growled in frustration; at one side, Bayushi was out, sniffing around, and on the other, Togashi searched hopefully.

"Wherever the little thief is, you're not going to find it grumbling like that," Sakura pointed out dryly. Beside her, Hinata nodded, still holding Waltz in her arms while Rhapsody, Waterlily, and Jane all searched about.

"I know," Sasuke barked grumpily, "I just thought we'd have made some progress by now!"

"Sasuke, the police in this area have been looking for the Mystery Pokémon for weeks," Sakura replied. "What did you expect; for it to just jump out of a bush at you?"

"Gahh!"

Without warning, something small and furry jumped out of the bushi Sasuke was investigating and landed right in his arms.

"Ghaa!"

"Neary!"

The two screamed at the same time, the boy falling backward in shock.

"What the Houndoom?!" Sasuke gasped, pushing the wild Pokémon off of him and arm's length away. She and Bayushi ran over, wanting to figure out what was going on.

"It's a Buneary!" Sakura gasped, pulling out her Pokédex and flipping it on.

"Buneary, the Rabbit Pokémon. A Buneary's ears are very important to it, as it uses them not only to express emotion, but also to fight with, rolling and unrolling them to punch foes with surprising force. The wool on Buneary's lower body is stretchy and useful for keeping warm."

The Pokémon huffed at Sasuke angrily, then turned away, searching the ground for something.

Smiling, Sakura tucked her dex away. "I can't believe we found such a cute Pokémon," she cooed, pulling out a Pokéball. "I can't wait to catch it!"

With that, she tossed the ball…only for the little bunny to whip around and smack it away with one of her ears, glaring.

"Oh, too bad," Sasuke laughed bitterly, rising to his feet. "It's cute, not weak, Sakura."

The pink-haired girl deflated. "Oh darn, I was hoping this would be easy…"

Before the Buneary could show her thoughts on being made part of Sakura's team, the bushes rustled, and out crashed Kata, Jet, and Akodo in a sparking ball of fangs and teeth.

"Hey- HEY! Knock it off!" Sasuke commanded, rolling to his feet and breaking it up.

"What has gotten into you three?" Hinata asked in shock.

Shi-shi-Shinx! Akodo explained accusingly, nodding at the Buneary, who suddenly seemed nervous.

None of the humans could understand his words, but they could judge it was bad from their Pokémon's reactions: Bayushi and Jane hissed angrily at the Buneary while Jet tried to defend her, with Togashi, Kata, and Rhapsody trying to keep everyone from killin' each other.

"Oh for Gastly's sake, I said knock it off!" Sasuke exclaimed in exasperation. "Will you explain what's going on so WE could understand it?!"

"Sasuke, you realize that more and more young people are dying of heart-attacks nowadays?" Sakura pointed out quietly (though it wasn't exactly true).

Sighing, Akodo sniffed the air, and then zipped under a bush, emerging with the bag of cookies, looking at Buneary and pantomiming that she was the one who stole them!

"What?" Sakura gasped, "This little cutie's the terrible thieving Pokémon we've been looking for?"

Behind her, Sasuke sighed in disappointment, "I know; it's more than a little disappointing…"

The Buneary glared angrily at Sasuke while Akodo trotted over to his trainer in triumph, holding his head high.

"Good job, boy," he began, reaching down for the plastic bag-

-only to be cut off by the Buneary rushing forward and taking hold of it, trying to tug it away from the Shinx, but his teeth held fast.

"Shix shix!" Akodo barked, starting to spark up.

"Bun!" the rabbit Pokémon retorted, slapping him.

"Shiii?!" For some reason, Akodo just let the bag go, landing on his rump. He started giggling, face blushing red as he turned away from the Buneary bashfully.

"What happened?" Hinata asked, taking out her Pokédex.

"Cute Charm, Buneary's Ability," it explained. "A Pokémon with Cute Charm naturally builds up a small amount of defensive pheromones similar to the ones used in the Attract technique. Once in a while, physical contact will spread these pheromones to the attacker, temporarily infecting them with the Infatuation status."

While the 'dex explained that, the Buneary had already started hopping away.

"Oh no you don't!" Sasuke said, diving and grabbing hold of her. "Got ya, you miserable little-!"

BAM-BAM!

Quick as a flash, the Buneary delivered two ear-punches right to Sasuke's face. Slipping free from his now slack grasp, she waved her tail at him mockingly and darted off.

"Sasuke!" Sakura gasped, moving to his side while his Pokémon tried to help him up. "Are you okay?" Nearby, Bayushi and Akodo (who had snapped back to his senses as soon as his Master was hurt) hissed in fury while Togashi breathed sparks of fire.

Grunting, Sasuke forced himself to his feet, his red face angry. "I swear I'm going to catch that wrenched little minx if it's the last thing I do!" he shouted vengefully, pulling a Pokéball from his belt. "Come on boys, we hunt!"

Cheering, the band ran off vengefully, leaving the two girls in the dust.

Sakura stood for a moment before realizing what the boy had said. "Hey, wait a minute, _**I **_wanted to catch that Buneary!" Scooping up Waterlily, she ran after them, Jane following behind. "No fair, Sasuke, I called her first!"

Now alone, Hinata winced, looking at bot her and Naruto's teams. "Oooh, don't leave us behind!"

0o0o0

_**Meanwhile, in another part of the Forest...**_

0o0o0

"Get back here you coward!" Naruto called, jumping over roots and ducking under branches; the Teddiursa just kept on running, once turning back to stick his tongue out tauntingly.

Growling, Naruto turned to his Furret. "Puck, get him with Fury Swipes!"

"Ret-ret-Ret!" The Furret charged forward, his long body bobbing through the underbrush with ease as he closed in on the Teddiursa. In a few seconds, Puck maneuvered himself in-front of his target, claws spread. "Furr-!'

"Teddi-ursa!" With a cry, Little Teddy waved his paws back and forth, releasing a cloud of honey-yellow pheromones that Puck accidently breathed in deeply.

"Rrrret?" Puck staggered back and forth, feeling himself relax involuntarily as the Teddiursa ran past, laughing evilly and gobbling down the last of Naruto's crepe.

"Darn it, a Sweet Scent attack!" Naruto hissed in frustration, running over and shaking Puck out of his daze. "Come on, buddy, we can't let him get away!"

"Fur-ret!" Puck nodded, slapping his face to fully wake up.

The two continued the hunt, cornering their prey two more times, only for the evasive little cub to find some way out of their clutches.

Finally, when it seemed that Little Teddy had really lost his foes, he laughed and started back for home.

"Not so fast!" Out of the bushes, the blond boy jumped out, blocking the Teddiursa's path. "You don't think you're gonna get away that easy, do ya?!"

"Tedi," Little Teddy retorted dismissively, turning around and starting off in the other direction. However, a certain Long Body Pokémon blocked his way.

"Furret!" Puck hissed, bounding at his foe.

Laughing, the Teddiursa waved his paws, unleashing his honey-yellow Sweet Scent again; as the Furret was dazed, Little Teddy charged, striking hard with his powerful paws. Much to his surprise, however, Puck just exploded into a puff of smoke. "Teddi?"

Suddenly, the ground beneath him rumbled, busting as Puck emerged from his Dig technique. Moving deftly, the Furret coiled his long body around the Teddiursa and restrained him.

"Teddiursa! Ted-di-ursa!" Little Teddy protested, struggling and kicking in his foe's grapple.

"HA! We caught you, you little thief!" Naruto laughed, walking over to the two Pokémon. "And now we're gonna...take...you...back?"

The boy trailed off as Little Teddy started to glow, his body changing shape and growing.

"Oh no," Naruto sighed, realizing what was going on, "this is gonna suck..."

Gasping in surprise, Puck let go of the Pokémon and jumped away just as he grew too big for the Furret to wind around. No longer glowing, the once-Teddiursa looked _**down**_ at the pair, his _**big**_ paws stretching out menacingly.

"Ehehe..." Nervously, Naruto backed away from the Ursaring slowly, subtly pushing Puck back as well as he tried to talk in a calming voice. "Nice Ursaring. Nice, _good_ Ursa-"

_**"ROOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAR!"**_

"RUN FOR YOUR LIFE, PUCK!" However, it wasn't necessary for him to even shout that; overcome with fear, Puck had already retreated to his Pokéball.

Dropping any pretences of dignity he had, Naruto turned tail and fled as fast as he could.

0o0o0

_**Back to Sasuke and Sakura...**_

0o0o0

"Rooooooarrr!"

"What was that?!" Sakura asked, sparing a quick look around. "It sounded big!"

Sasuke paused from running after their quarry, thinking. "Probably a wild Pokémon chasing someone of their territory with a Roar attack or something like that; even if it wasn't, it sounded far away. And we got more important Pokémon to think about!" he added, pointing.

The Buneary leapt through the air, landing on one branch and then jumping to the next.

"Bayushi," the boy ordered, his Eevee jumping onto his shoulder, "use Hidden Power!"

"Ee-Vee!" Breathing in deep, Bayushi conjured a ring of sky-blue spheres around himself, firing the lot at the Buneary.

"When did Bayushi learn THAT?!" Sakura gasped, watching as the attack struck the branch the Buneary was on. It was torn apart, but the Pokémon had already jumped to the next one.

"I'll explain later!" Sasuke hissed in frustration. That Buneary was _fast_!

Unfortunately for the little bunny, Jane suddenly leapt out in-front of her, cutting off her escape. "Mankey!"

"Nice Jane, Karate Chop that branch!" Sakura cheered.

Giving a kiai shout, Jane obeyed, smashing tree-limb in two and sending both Pokémon downward.

While the Mankey quickly recovered her footing and caught a branch, the Buneary wasn't so luckily, and went tumbling to the ground below. "Buneary!"

"Sorry Sasuke, but she's mine!" Sakura shouted, tossing her Pokéball. "I got ya-"

BAM!

Just as the girl's Pokéball started to fly at the Buneary, someone with bright yellow hair and an orange outfit came running out of the brush, accidentally catching the Pokémon and taking the ball to the face.

"YOUCH!" Tumbling, Naruto fell forward and hit the ground, rolling into Sasuke and tripping him over; the ball of Pokémon and people then crashed into a tree, sending everyone flying.

"Oh no, I killed them!" Sakura cried out, running over to try and see if she could help.

"Naruto," Sasuke growled, "get off!"

"Wegottagetoutofherewegottage toutofherewegottagetoutofher e!" Naruto said franticly, stumbling to his feet and then falling back on top of Sasuke in his panic.

"Naruto! You're back!" Hinata gasped as she finally caught up to the team, panting. "W-What happened?" she added, realizing the boys looked like a train-wreck.

"No talking! We gotta run!" Naruto shouted, not noticing the wild Pokémon he was holding in his panic.

The Buneary in Naruto's arms recovered from her daze and struggled from his grasp, looking around for the now missing bag of cookies. Ah, there they were! Happily, she retrieved them.

"Oh no!" Sakura cried, "What about the Pokémon Egg!?"

Swearing, Sasuke glanced around, realizing he had lost it when Naruto (who was still franticly panicking about something) ran into him. "Darn it all, I don't know! Look for it!"

"Rio!" a small voice called; Kata ran over to them, holding the egg case out proudly.

"Good boy, Kata!" Sakura cheered, reaching for the case.

However, as she did so, something came over the Riolu, who started to shake in fear. "Ri-ri-riolu!"

"Eh? What's wrong?" Sakura asked.

"We need to get out of here, that's what's wrong!" Naruto shouted like a madman, practically foaming at the mouth; he grabbed Sakura by the shoulders and started shaking her back and forth. "Isn't anyone listening to me?! We've gotta get out of-!"

SLAP-SLAP-PUNCH!

Hinata, Sasuke and Sakura all struck the frantic boy, wanting him to come to his senses.

"What the Houndoom is wrong with you?!" Sasuke demanded, pushing himself between Sakura and Naruto.

-CRASH-

As if to answer him, the trees where pushed aside by a giant bear-like Pokémon. It looked down at the four children and their teams, pausing only briefly to take in the new sight.

"And now we're going to die," Naruto moaned sadly.

With that, the Ursaring roared angrily, striking a tree so hard it snapped in half.

"AHHHHHHHH!" The team and their Pokémon (and the Buneary) bolted, running blindly away.

"This way!" Sasuke shouted, not wanting the group to separate. He led the group into the thickest patch of trees he could find, hoping they could lose the mad Pokémon in the thicket, or that it could at least slow the beast down. Turning around, the boy checked to make sure the group was still together, waving to keep them going in the same direction.

Sasuke's plan seemed to work; the Ursaring's crashing was getting softer, but it was still too close for comfort.

"Wait up Sasuke," Naruto called from behind. "Hinata's having trouble keeping up!"

Sasuke turned see what the blond meant. Hinata was lagging behind, clearly out of breath, Waltz was in her arms and Rhapsody at her feet, urging her forward. "Oh, just return the stupid Metapod, Hinata!" Sasuke shouted, irritated. They were running for their lives here!

Gasping for breath, the girl silently berated herself for not doing just that in the first place. She reached for the Pokéball, but having to hold Waltz in one hand threw off her balance, and she fell over.

-CRACK!-

Hinata cringed; Waltz had landed right on top of his Pokéball. Looking up, she saw that Naruto, Sakura, Sasuke, and their Pokémon were all waiting for her. "Sorry!" she said getting to her feet; luckily, Rhapsody had retrieved the ball and handed it to his trainer. Thanking him quickly, she tried calling her Metapod. But the device wouldn't work! "Uh-oh! I think I broke it!" the girl cried, not knowing what to do.

Unfortunately, the Ursaring came crashing through the woods just then. Rising to his hind-legs, the beast glared down at Hinata, who looked too terrified to move.

"Don't you touch her!" Naruto shouted, starting to run over.

Luckily (for the boy), the Ursaring stopped, sniffed the air, and then smiled hungrily, licking his chops. "Ursa?" Sparing no more thought to the girl, the Pokémon turned away, following his nose until he found his desire: a bag of delicious-looking cookies, held by some Buneary.

Scoffing, he reached out his paw, demanding the bag.

Instead of complying, the Buneary glared right back at the giant, holding her prize all the tighter.

"Urrrsa!" Losing what little patience he had, the Ursaring just grabbed the bag and yanked it away from her.

"Buneary!" his victim cried, jumping up and slapping the beast's face with one of her ears. Think her Cute Cham ability had worked again, the Buneary snatched her stolen cookies back and turned to hop away.

"ROAR!" A great bellow was her only warning as the Ursaring smacked her from behind, sending the little Buneary into a tree.

THUD!

When the white cleared from her vision, the Buneary saw the Ursaring stalking toward her, claws outstretched.

"No," Hinata gasped, covering her mouth. She had to do something before the Ursaring killed the poor bunny Pokémon. "Rhapsody, Water Gun!"

"Toto-DILE!" Glad to be a hero, the Totodile loosed a pressurized stream of water, hitting the Ursaring in the square in the face. As the bear sputtered in surprise, Rhapsody laughed, firing a second one.

"URSARING!" Growling in fury, the Ursaring turned his attention to Hinata and her Pokémon once again. They were going to pay for this humiliation-!

"Hey Papa Bear, look out!"

A second stream of Water hit the Ursaring in the back of the head. Irritably, he glanced over his shoulder.

Naruto stood proud, Jet next to him with his arms folded smugly. Kata was nearby, with the recently called out Puck at his side.

Sakura was not too far off, Waterlily at her feet and Jane up in the branches, both glaring at the Ursaring unafraid.

Lastly, Sasuke had moved from being ahead of his friends to being next to them, all his Pokémon at the ready as much as the others, and none looking afraid. In fact, Akodo looked absolutely thrilled at what was happening.

"If you think you can mess our friend, you're dead wrong, _'Little'_ Teddy!" Naruto announced, looking at the bear challengingly. "Mess with one of us, and you get the pack!" The entire group nodded grimly.

"Naruto...guys," Hinata whispered softly, overcome with emotions.

Not far from her, the Buneary was awestruck; the human had protected her! Even after all that happened, the dark-haired girl saved her, and now her friends were doing the same! A pang of awe and guilt spread throughout her little body.

The Ursaring, however, was far from scared at what had happened. Bringing himself to his full height, the beast growled in response to their challenge, flexing his claws.

"Let's rumble!" Naruto shouted; the Pokémon jumped to battle.

Akodo was the first to attack; such a terrible foe would prove his honor and mettle to master for sure! Rushing forward, he braced himself before the Ursaring, planting his paws into the ground and drawing in his breath. Energy built up in his belly, and Akodo digged deep, finally unleashing his Roar attack!

_"Meow!"_

"Rrr?!" The Ursaring took one step back, seemed either confused or insulted for a second. And then, he burst out laughing. "Uruauauaaua!"

"...that was anticlimactic," Naruto sighed.

Hot embarrassment rushed through Akodo, but the Shinx squashed the feeling, instead letting the fires of his rage stoke and grow. "SHIIINNX!" With a cry, he leapt at the Ursaring, hitting him square in the gut with a Spark attack

"Ursa!" the bear-Pokémon grunted in pain. Growling, the Ursaring grabbed the Shinx and hosted him high, squeezing down even as Akodo Sparked and Bit him.

"Let him go!" Sasuke shouted, about to order the rest of his team into action. However, Sakura was faster.

"Jane, bring it down with Low Kick!"

Flying down from the trees above, Jane landed behind the Ursaring, and delivered a powerful kick to the back of his knee. The beast's legs folded, and he crashed painfully to the ground. Quick as he could, Bayushi zipped over and pried the Ursaring's claws open, setting Akodo free.

As the two scurried away, the Ursaring raised one of his great paws to smash them.

"No you don't!" Sasuke said, "Togashi, Scrach!"

"Char-char-char!" Togashi rushed over, his sharp nails raised; he first slashed the Ursaring's arm, deflecting the blow intended for Sasuke's Pokémon, and then his face, enraging him even more.

"Get him with Water Gun before he get's Togashi, Jet!" Naruto ordered.

"You too, Waterlily/Rhapsody," Sakura and Hinata both said in unison.

FSSSHHHHH!

Three steams of pressurized water hit their target from different angles; the Ursaring struggled round, trying to shield himself.

"This monster's tough," Sasuke noted eagerly, pulling out a Pokéball; he saw no reason in letting something so strong get away.

"Okay, Kata, time to finish this," Naruto announced. "Use Force Palm!"

"Rio-lu!" Giving a great kiai shout, Kata ran forward, jumping into the air above the Ursaring. As he built up power for his attack, he spotted the cute Buneary jumping into an attack as well.

The two landed their attacks in the Ursaring's gut, hitting with powerful, solid attacks.

"Yeah! We win!" Naruto laughed.

Sasuke however, stopped him, raising his hand. "It's not over yet."

Shaking with fury, the Ursaring look a glance around at all the annoying little brats and their Pokémon. Quickly, he took in a deep breath, and then unleashed his mighty Roar.

"ROOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAR!"

A all-consuming, overpowering fear dug its way deep into the hearts of all the Pokémon around him. All of those belonging to the team, from seemingly fearless Akodo to sweet Waterlily were uncontrollable force back into their Pokéballs; even Bayushi, who feared being inside his ball, was compelled into it. The wild Buneary fell back into a near feint.

"No!" Sasuke growled. He pulled out his Pokéball and tried to call Bayushi out, but there was no response.

"You can't call any Pokémon affected by Roar until it wears off," Sakura explained quickly.

"That's not fair!" Naruto protested.

Hinata wasn't paying attention to that. She looked at Waltz, still in her hands, and wondered why he wasn't called back; it was probably because he Pokéball was broken. However, such thoughts faded from her mind as she saw the Ursaring advancing at the cowering Buneary. Smiling wickedly, he reached for the bag of cookies. _Finally, they were his!_

"Leave her allow!" Hinata shouted. Without thinking, she picked up a rock and threw it as hard as she could; the pebble hit the monster on the back of the head with a small, small dink.

"Rrr?" Hissing, the Ursaring turned around, and spotted his little attacker. "Ursa-!"

"IT'S A GOOD DAY TO DIE!" Without any other warning, Naruto jumped onto the Ursaring, latching onto his back. The boy grabbed handfuls of flesh and bit down as hard as he could, going practically feral as he attacked tooth and nail.

As the Ursaring tried to get his new assailant off his back, a second one joined in; Sasuke had grabbed onto his right arm and tried to hold the bear down. In a few seconds, he was instead holding on for dear life as the beast swung his arm around in the air.

"Ursa Ursa!" The Ursaring flailed around in complete confusion; when did people fight like Pokémon?!

"Naruto! Sasuke!" Hinata cried; that thing could kill then!

Sakura grabbed the girl's hand and pulled. "They attacked that thing so you could get to safety; come on!"

"But-" Hinata's protest was cut short when the Ursaring's one free arm thrashed toward the girls. Crying out, Hinata felt her body freeze; just as the claw was about to hit, something in her arms moved.

Waltz used what little mobility he had to shift himself in front of the blow, Hardening. The attack knocked Hinata off her feet, but Waltz took the blunt of it.

"Waltz! No!" Hinata cried. The blow felt a huge crack on her poor Pokémon. "Sakura, help! Waltz is...Waltz is...is..." Hinata's voice trailed off softly in quiet amazement.

Soft glowing light poured out from between the cracks in Waltz's shell. More light issued forth as the opening became bigger and bigger. Finally, a growly shape emerged, growing great wings as the light faded; it was a beautiful butterfly-like Pokémon with big white wings and red eyes.

"Free-free!" Waltz laughed, fluttering up into the air. He fly back and forth, clearly enjoying his new freedom.

"He evolved!" Sakura said.

Hinata looked up at her new Pokémon, eyes watery. "Waltz..."

"Yeah, that's really nice!' Sasuke barked, "but could you stop staring and help us?!"

"Oh!" Hinata gasped. "Uh, Waltz, go!"

"Brrr-Free!" Waltz nodded, taking off. He flew above the boys and the Ursaring, flapping his new wings hard. Glittering blue powder rained down, falling on all three of them.

"Ursa-Ursa...urr?" Seemingly losing his strength, the Ursaring's eyes and arms became heavy. With a great crash, he fell to the floor.

"Awesome...Hina-Hina-YAWN," Naruto managed, falling to the floor just as he tried to walk over and congratulate the girl. "Zzzz"

"We -Yawn- won, you blasted brute," Sasuke growled, pulling out a Pokéball as he fought off the powder. "And now, I'm gonna...catch you!"

With all of his ebbing strength, Sasuke tossed the ball; however, it just bounced off the sleeping Ursaring.

"...no fair," Sasuke whined softly, falling over on top of Naruto, drifting to sleep.

"..Huh, what do you know?" Sakura mused, picking up the Pokéball as it rolled to her feet. "Someone must own this Pokémon."

"Who, a serial killer?" Hinata asked darkly. Then she realized what she said and covered her mouth in embarrassment.

"No, don't be sorry," Sakura said. "This beast was nasty mean, and very aggressive. It might have gone through something stressful like an evolution, I think. But," she added, looking at Waltz and he happily flew around, singing to himself, "that's no excuse for it to be _**this**_ aggressive."

"What do we do now?" Hinata asked softly.

"Ah, I say we get Naruto and Sasuke up, and then get back to the center," Sakura responded. "We'll heal up and rest; but truth be told, after today, I'd like to put this whole town behind us as soon as possible!"

"But, what about the Ursaring?" Hinata pointed out.

Sakura shrugged. "Let him find his own way home."

Before the girls could get their friends up, however, a small voice called out. "Buneary!"

The bunny Pokémon walked up to them boldly, looking Hinata in the eye. "Bun-bun eary Buneary," she explained, holding out her paw in thanks.

"She's thanking you, I think," Sakura pointed out.

Carefully, Hinata shook in. "Uh, no problem, I think?" she said slowly.

"Buneary," the Pokémon responded, jumping into Hinata's arms. "Buneary buneary? she asked, smiling big.

"Oh!" Looking very surprised, Hinata looked at the Buneary to Sakura, to the Buneary again. "Y-You wanna come with me? I mean, be part of my team?"

"Of course she does!" Sakura exclaimed, "you saved her tail twice after all. That was awesome and brave of you."

"Neary," the Buneary said happily.

"Okay then," Hinata smiled, barely able to contain her joy. She pulled out Rhapsody's Pokéball and called him out. "Welcome the newest member of our family, guys!"

"Brree-Free-Free-Free!" Waltz cheered, flapping his wings and letting off a harmless white powder like fireworks.

"Tototo!" Rhapsody happy walked up and shook her hand so hard the two bounced up and down.

"Hinata, you are so lucky," Sakura said, a bit of playful jealousy in her tone. After all, _**she**_ had wanted to catch the cute Buneary. Sakura made a mental note to make sure the Pokémon eggs were within her sight at all times from now onward. "So, what are you going to name her?" she asked, wanting to think about something else.

Hinata thought carefully before she spoke. "I think we'll name you Aria; do you like that?"

"Buneary!" Aria cheered happily, jumping with the rest of her new family.

"I think she likes it," Sakura said. "Wait until the boys hear about this!"

"Rrr-uh?" Sasuke asked, struggling to open his eyes. "Why do I feel like something terrible just happened?"

His answer was more of Waltz's Sleep Powder.


	16. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer**

Let me just start out with the standard Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, Pokémon, or any of the associated or mentioned franchises/companies, and I am not making a profit on this.

The image I am using was made by BlissfulGold on , and I am using it with their permission. Please check out they DeviantART page sometime.

**Review Response**

Okay, thank you all for your patience in waiting for this chapter. I started school, and got two very difficult child care classes (I'm trying to become a Kindergarten teacher, for those wondering); one involved me learning to sew plushies and make over 10 different puppets, and the other was with my brother. The class itself was good, but the teacher had poor time-management skills and gave us assignments at the last minute; ever try setting up a preschool observation for two guys when you only have 3 days to work with? Not to mention, family life was hectic as you wouldn't believe.

Also, a week and a half ago, my mother decreed we're moving upstate to be near my grandmother. And a few days later, Mum got us a house and everything (my Grandma's been wanting us to move closer and she paid for it; yes, she's very wealthy, unlike us). So this upcoming two weeks (mum wants us packed and moved in two weeks) will be fun. Ah well, aside from the summer heat (which will be worse there than here) I like the country much more than the city, so it will be nice.

As for my fic, I thank you all for your reviews and would reply to them all, but considering I want to post this puppy, I'm gonna limit it to the few that suck out to me.

1. The Apprentice of Pisces

Thank you for your review, and I don't think I've seen you around before, so welcome, and please enjoy my fic.

2. Shadow

That's a good idea, I think I'll start doing that at the beginning of my chapters.

3. mwto

I love your review very much, and indeed, you have many points. Yes, I have seen that picture, and yes, I did get inspiration for it. My brother and I loved Sakura and the Azumarill in particular.

For those who wish to see it, look here:

eiffelart. deviantart art/Naruto-Pokemon-Rugs-N-Hugs-1361705

4. Secret

Lots of people are saying Hianta should get the Ninetails pup. Very interesting.

5. melon lord

Yes, I did a **My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic **reference, and I take no shame in saying I plan to do more (you'll love the end of this chapter). I am a proud Brony; I was told of the show by my brother and instead of being skeptical about it, I trusted his word that it was amazingly good, and watched the first two episodes...and then fell in love. Truth be told, I truly happy to have found a 'girl's' show that I can watch with my niece that has good values, beautiful art, strong character development, and a deep plot. I got her to love the old Batman: The Animated Series and Avatar: The Last Airbender, but never a "girl's" show; ironically, I don't think she understands what a "girl's" show is, being raised around boys. It goes to prove that a good story transcends age, gender, and culture, appealing to all, not a target audience.

6. lilyflower

Yes, well, if you know me, you'll know I'm a compulsive writer with a ever growing desire for perfection, and when I get emotionally upset, I vent it out with my writing. I spend hours writing up a chapter then deleting it and re-writing it because I didn't like a part; twice I've been up from Midnight to dawn without realize it for this chapter alone. I've really got to improve my sleeping habits.

7. xXHeavengirlXx

Thank you, thank you. There are no such things as reviews that are too long, and your ideas are appreciated. I'm hesitant to give Sakura a second Water-type however.

As for that pole I have for Naruto's Pokémon, I think I'll be taking it down soon and putting up another one for another character. So, put in last minute votes, and enjoy my newest chapter!

-0-

0o0o0

Pokémon Konoha

Chapter 12

"Bree-free-free!" Walz sang happily, dancing in midday air.

"He's been acting like that for the last two days," Sasuke said, his voice more than a bit grumpy.

"Well, he should be happy, being able to fly free at last," Hinata pointed out, smiling as she watched her Butterfree fly about.

The team was traveling through low mountains (actually, more like big hills), setting off for the base of the Snorunt Mountain Range.

"Hmm, you know, we never got to see what the dex says about Waltz now," Naruto mused, taking out his Pokédex.

"Butterfree, the Butterfly Pokémon," it chimed. "The scales on Butterfree's wings have special properties, and release large amounts of a variety of mystical powders with each flap."

"According to this, Waltz can learn quiet a variety of neat attacks," Naruto said. "You're really lucky, Hinata. Not to mention, you also caught that Buneary too!"

"Naruto, please, her name is Aria," Hinata insisted, "we need treat her like a member of the family."

"Yeah, a member of the family," Sakura muttered, looking down at Waterlily.

Hinata looked at the girl quizzically. "Is something wrong?"

"Ah, no, not really," Sakura responded, shrugging. "I just noticed that I'm kinda behind you guys."

"Eh?" Naruto asked, lifting an eyebrow.

Sakura shook her head. "You three all have three Pokémon, while I've only got two. I know, I know, it's childish."

"Not really," Sasuke said blandly. "We're on a Pokémon Journey, aren't we? You're suppose to catch Pokémon."

"Yeah, besides, Sasuke's been trying to catch ever Pokémon we've come across for the last two days," Naruto added, referring to Jet and Aria. "If anyone should be judged for wanting to play catch-up, it'd be him, hands down."

Before Sasuke could respond to Naruto's barbed comment, a hardy-looking man in hiking clothes walked down the road toward them. "Well, hello there, kids," he called in a deep voice. "Let me guess, you're all new trainers, right?"

"That's right," Sakura said, followed by her introducing herself. The rest of the team followed suit quickly. "Is there something we can do for you?"

The man scratched his chin. "Well, I overheard you mentioning that you were wanting to add some new Pokémon to your team, and I happen to know a great spot for hunting some impressive ones."

"Really?" Sakura asked eagerly. Sasuke also leaned forward with great interest until Naruto elbowed him.

"Yep, sure do," the hiker laughed hardily. "Tell ya' what, how about we all have a nice 'bout of Pokémon battles, and if you three can beat three of my team, I'll tell you where it is; fair?"

"Cool!" Naruto cheered, "I'm first!" Sasuke and Sakura both frowned, but allowed him anyway.

"Okay Blondie, let's rumble," the hiker laughed, pulling out a Pokéball. "Rhino, old boy, come on out!"

A Rhyhorn, a rhinoceros-like Pokémon with a rocky body, materialized; he smiled aggressively, beating his foot eagerly.

"A Rhyhorn? That's a Rock-type, right?" Naruto mused, smiling. "I know just the Pokémon for you; go, Jet, go!"

The boy's Buizel appeared, posing with his arms crossed and a cocky smile on his face.

"Okay, Jet, fire a Water Gun!" Naruto commanded.

"Magnitude, Rhino," the hiker countered.

As Jet puffed up his mouth full of water, the Rhyhorn reared up and slammed the ground; a medium-sized ripple zipped through the dirt, throwing person and Pokémon alike off balance. Jet loosed his Water Gun in surprise, causing it to hit his foe on the shoulder rather than strait on.

"Rrrrr!" Rhino growled in irritation and pain.

"Don't let that distract you," his owner commanded, "get the little bugger while he's still reeling with a Horn Attack!"

"Rhhhh!" The Rhyhorn charged at full speed, lowering his horn. Jet recovered his footing just in time to be caught from underneath and flung over Rhino's shoulder like a ragdoll.

"Bui-!?"

"Quick Jet, use Water Gun again!" Naruto called.

"Bui-zel!" Not wasting any time, Jet fired a stream of water while still in midair, this time hitting Rhino in his back dead-on center.

"Rhhhhr!" the Rhyhorn gasped in pain, rearing around just at Jet landed nimbly on his feet.

"Rhino, stop him from doing that again!" the hiker ordered.

"RrrhHHRRR!" his Rhyhorn roared, rearing up for another Magnitude.

"BUIZEL!" Jet responded, blasting him with another Water Gun; this time he hit him on the underside.

"Rhhh-!"

_BAM!_

The Rhyhorn was thrown to his back with a tremendous crash, knocked out.

"Ooh, poor boy," the hiker sighed, recalling his Pokémon, "well, you tried at least."

"Yeah, we win!" Naruto laughed.

"Bui-bui!" Jet agreed, jumping up and giving his trainer a victory high-five.

"That seemed fairly easy," Sasuke noted, watching the two's antics.

"Rhyhorn's typing gives him a double weakness to Water," Sakura pointed out, looking down at her Azuril and petting her pleasantly.

"Zu-zu!"

"Okay, that's one down, two to go," the hiker said, pulling out a second Pokéball. "This time, I'm callin' out Sandy! Let's go, little lady."

He tossed the Pokéball, which opened and released a shrew-like Pokémon standing on two feet with long claws on her forepaws; long, scale-like quills lined the Pokémon's back. "Slash," the Pokémon sneered, pawing the air with one of her claws.

"What's that?" Hinata asked aloud.

Sasuke, who was stepping forward, stopped and sighed. "That's a Sandslash," he said, taking out his Pokédex and showing it to the girl.

"Sandslash, a Mouse Pokémon and the evolved form of Sandshrew. When threatened, Sandslash can curl into a ball and use the spines on its back both to protect itself and deter attackers. If a Sandslash's claw is broken, it re-grows in a day."

After the dex was finished, Sasuke stowed it back into his pocket and nodded confidently. "I think Togashi will be able to take that shrew on just fine-"

"Jane, you're up!" Sakura had already taken Naruto's place and called out her Mankey.

As Sakura proudly said she'd be battling the hiker, Sasuke shot Hinata a dirty look for distracting him.

"Okay, Jane, start off with Focus Energy," Sakura instructed. She new it was a good idea to start off using boosting attacks, before the battle went into melee range.

The Mankey crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes, a light brown aura burning around her as she hummed in concentration.

"Fury Swipes, Sandy," the hiker ordered with a hardy laugh.

"Slash-slash-slash," his Pokémon cheered, letting her claws drag in the dirt while she rushed forward.

"Counter with Low Kick as soon as you can," Sakura instructed, fairly calm.

The Sandslash lashed Jane's crossed arms twice before her Focus Energy attack finished, and then an additional time before the Mankey could respond.

"Key!" Jane growled, tripping Sandy with her leg, making her fall painfully to her back.

"Good, now follow up with a Karate Chop!" Sakura shouted.

"Man-KEY!" Uttering her usual ki shout, Jane attacked with a fearsome chop that was powered up by all her built up energy from Focus Energy.

"Defense Curl! Then, follow up with Rapid Spin" the hiker ordered.

Quickly, Sandy rolled into a spiny ball; Jane's chop slammed right into one of the Sandslash's many quills!

"Maaaan," Jane hissed, leaping away and shaking her paw to drive off the pain; Sandy chased after her, spinning like buzz-saw.

"Jane, get her from under and try a Seismic Toss," Sakura suggested.

"Key-key," her Mankey laughed. Gritting her teeth, Jane moved forward and then dug her hands below the spinning ball of spines. Ignoring the pain from being stabbed from several different needles, Jane heaved hard, tossing her Sandslash foe high in the air.

"Sand!?" Sandly gasped, unrolling as she soared in midair. Sakura saw the confused look on her face just as she hit the floor. "Sssaaa-lash!"

"Move quick, Jane!" Sakura ordered, "Karate Chop before she recovers!"

Jane didn't need telling twice. While the hiker was yelling for his Pokémon to use Defense Curl again, Jane somersaulted into the sky, spinning into dazzling chop that used the full power of her body weight and gravity. She landed just as the Sandslash rolled back into a ball.

-_CRACK!_-

Jane did not move from where she landed, her paw bleeding from where she hit Sandy.

"Jane, are you okay?" Sakura called, not sure what happened.

"...Keeey," Jane responded, smiling. She turned on her heel and walked away.

"Slash-sand..." Sandy' unrolled and sprawled out with a weak 'plop.' She groaned in pain, unable to get up.

"My poor Sandy," the hiker bemoaned, recalling her to her Pokéball. "Don't worry, darlin,' we'll go to the Pokécenter in Sproutingdale as soon as we're done."

"Good job, Jane!" Sakura cheered, giving her Pokémon a brofist (or sis-fist, in this case). "You were awesome!"

"That was quick," Sasuke noted.

"Bet her Focus Energy helped deal out some extra damage there," Naruto pointed out.

Sasuke nodded. "Okay, looks like I'm next-"

"Uh, Sasuke?" Hinata's small voice asked.

Sighing, he looked at her and raised an eyebrow. "What is it, Hinata?"

"I-I know you want to battle," the girl said softly, "but, I'd really like to get a chance to see what my new Pokémon can do...if you don't mind."

Behind her, Waltz flew up, cheering with glee. "Bree-Free!"

"I think she means Aria, buddy," Naruto whispered.

Waltz fell onto Naruto's shoulder sadly, sniffling slightly.

"Come on, Sasuke," Sakura joined in, pulling Sasuke back by his hand. "Let Hinata have a turn; this _is_ the first time I've seen her want to battle, after all!"

Sasuke growled, pulling his hand free from Sakura's grasp. "Oh, fine!"

"Thank you," Hinata said, walking up to the hiker. "I'll use my Buneary, Aria," she explained, taking out her Pokéball. "I just caught her."

The Pokéball opened with a flash; when Aria materialized, she yawned, stretching out her legs, and looked around. "Neary?"

"Ah, a fine Pokémon indeed," the hiker agreed. "Makes me feel kina bad about my third Pokémon choice." He tossed a Pokéball. "Ms. Geodude, bring Daddy a victory!"

His third Pokémon, the boulder-like Geodude, slammed her fists into the ground, and spoke with a deep voice. "Dude-dude!"

Flinching slightly to himself, Naruto looked at Waltz still on his shoulder, speaking out of the side of his mouth. "That's a female?"

"Free-brr," the Butterfree shrugged, not sure

"Shut up and watch," Sakura ordered.

"Tackle that bunny flat, Ms, Geodude!" the hiker shouted.

"Geo!" The Rock-type slid across the ground swiftly, slamming right into Aria; she tumbled backward painfully.

"Buneary!" she cried out indignantly, casting a confused look at Hinata.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" Hinata gasped. "I should have said something. This is a Pokémon Battle," she explained, hoping her opponent would understand and give her time to talk, "you use attacks and-"

"Buneary-bun," Aria retorted sarcastically, hopping over another Tackle attack. _She knew what a Pokémon Battle was...this was just the first __**real**__ one she'd been in._ The Buneary smiled, anticipating the new experience.

"Quit trying to explain everything!" Sakura shouted, slapping her face.

"Yeah, Pokémon are natural battlers anyway," Naruto piped in, recalling his parent's lessons on battling. "Just tell her what attacks to use and everything will fall into place. Trust us on this."

"O-okay," Hinata nodded nervously; inwardly, she really felt foolish. "Aria, use Pound; y-you know that attack, right?"

"Her stutter's back," Sasuke grumbled in annoyance; Naruto elbowed him to be quiet.

"Neary!" Hinata's Pokémon responded, nodding curtly. Growling angrily, Aria pulled back, rolling her ears in. As Ms. Geodude flew in for an attack, the Buneary sidestepped quickly, following up by viciously ear-punching her opponent in the eyes.

"My baby!" the hiker cried as his Pokémon lashed out blinding with one of her rocky fists while the other covered her face.

"Near-near-buneary!" Aria laughed, hopping over the Geodude and delivering a barrage of Pound Attacks to her target's back.

"Awesome, Hinata!" Naruto cheered, "You've got 'em on the ropes!"

"Look again," Sasuke said darkly.

Far from worried, the hiker just gave a hearty laugh. "Okay, enough playing; Ms. Geodude, Rock Smash!"

Now fully recovered from the shock of being punched in the eye, the Geodude rounded around quickly, smashing a great fist into the ground. The earth shattered, and Hinata's Buneary tumbled backward, debris of dirt and rock flying into her face.

"Aria!" Hinata cringed. "Get to your feet quickly!"

Aria rolled backward, flipping to her feet a safe distance way. "Buneary," she hissed, moving to a low stance and preparing to leap away again.

"Pound is a Normal-type attack," the hiker explained, waving his finger. "It won't do much any good against a Rock-type like my Geodude; 'specially if used by somethin' with a low attack like a Buneary."

Hinata nodded thankfully; she had figured that out, but it was still nice of the man to explain that to her. "Let's try something else, Aria," she said, talking out her Pokédex. "Uh, what attacks would you know?"

"Sorry, but I don't think you'll get the chance to find out," her opponent called out. "Ms, Geodude, let loose all the Rock Smashes you got!"

"Geo-dude!" The Rock-type rushed forward, swinging her fists. With a grunt, Aria somersaulted up and over her, landing a Pound attack right atop the Geodude's head as she did so (little good it did). Ms. Geodude grit her teeth, whipping around and smashing the ground.

This time, Aria was prepared for this, and flipped backward, dodging the attack altogether. Stopping in a handstand, Aria looked at the Geodude with a lopsided grin. "Bun-bun!"

"Good work," Hinata called, "stay on the defensive. But, if you have any attacks that might be useful, I'd r-really like to see them."

Aria tumbled backward as the Geodude barreled at her, landing on her feet and jumping away. She smiled smugly, nodding at her trainer and striking a pose. The Geodude came at her, swinging a wide hook. As it came at her, the Buneary fell backward, curling into a ball and rolling under the attack, popping back up behind Ms. Geodude. Laughing, she gave another Pound on her foe's elbow.

"That's Defense Curl," Sakura commented.

"Geo!" The hiker's Pokémon lashed out, striking Aria in the face. The Buneary reeled back in pain, and Ms. Geodude followed up with a Rock Smash to her midsection.

The blow sent Aria flying backward, sticking across the dirt. She growled, wincing as she righted herself up.

"Oh Aria!" Hinata cried. She was at such a disadvantage; the girl reached for her Pokéball, wondering if she should call of the match before her Pokémon really got hurt.

"Okay, Ms. Geodude, finish her off with a Rock Throw," the hiker commanded.

"Geo-geo," his Pokémon complied; she smashed her hands into the ground, lifting out a chunk of earth. Giving a great heave, she launched her rocky missile.

"Defense Curl and roll away!" Hinata said quickly.

As the rock flew at her, however, Aria didn't roll away; instead, she shoot her ground, planting her feet down firm and straightening out her ears toward the incoming attack.

"Aria, what-?"

-Booup!-

What happened next looked more like part of a Loony Toon's short; as the rock landed, Aria's ears caught it and then the Buneary sort of pulsed like a rubber ball, suddenly throwing the rock _back_ at the shocked Geodude!

"Ge-o-" was all she could manage before it hit.

-CRASH-

From amide the rock's rubble, Ms. Geodude babbled nonsense, her eyes unfocused and rolling.

"W-What was that?" Hinata asked, taking out her Pokédex.

"Fling," it explained with a chime, "this attack utilizes whatever materials are at hand, throwing them at the target at high velocity and speed. Because it can be used with anything within reach, Fling can be unpredictable and is something of a wildcard."

"Yeah Hinata!" Naruto cheered, Sakura baking him up, "Keep it up, you're winning!"

"Good work, Aria," Hinata said softly, smiling as her Buneary did a taunting twirl.

"One attack doesn't decide a battle," the hiker scowled. "Okay, Ms. Geodude, shake it off and attack with Rock Smash!"

"Dude-ge!" The Rock-type slapped her face, re-focusing. With a snarl, she charged her foe, fists raised.

"Um, jump away and use Fling again, Aria," Hinata responded, in a tone that was more of a suggestion than a command.

"Ary," Aria nodding, picking up a rock and leaping over the Geodude. While in midflight, she launched it at Ms. Geodude, hitting her in the back.

"Dude!" the Pokémon hissed, skidding to a halt and doubling around, raising her fists and trying to attack the Buneary again.

For the next few seconds, the pattern continued. Aria would try to keep her distance and attack at a range, while Ms. Geodude would try and close into melee. Twice, the Rock-type succeeded, dealing some nasty blows before Aria could get away.

At present, the two where taking something of an improved break, huffing and puffing, clearly exhausted.

"Come on, Ms. Geodude," the hiker pleaded, gripping his fists. "the little varmint can barely stand, let alone run away; you can do it, baby."

"Geeee," his Pokémon sighed, trying to get up and charge. Across the field, Aira gasped, trying to get ready and jump away.

"Wait," Hinata called, stepping over to her Buneary and picking her up. "Stop the match, please."

"Eh?!" The hiker, Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke were all confused (though to different degrees.

"Hey, what gives, Hinata?" Naruto asked, "You were winning!"

"Phooey," the hiker retorted, "Ms. Geodude was rockin' there."

The dark-haired girl shook her head. "Nu-uh, I'd say it was a tie." Aria gave a small protest from Hinata's arms, but her trainer went on. "Both our Pokémon are tired, Mister, and they both battled good. I-I don't think we should force them to continue at this point; we already had fun, right?"

From behind her, Sasuke growled; he had let Hinata battle in his place, and she didn't even want to finish the fight? "Typical bleeding-heart," he huffed.

"Shove it," Naruto whispered, elbowing him.

Back on the improve battlefield, the hiker rubbed his chin. "Well, I guess you've got a point, little missy. Still, I can't help but feel a tiny bit robbed; after all, things was just starting to get interesting." He recalled his Geodude, who sighed in relief at the frustrating battle being over.

"If it will make you feel better, sir, I'll admit defeat," Hinata suggested.

"Neary?!" At this, Aria started wriggling and shouting in protest, but Hinata didn't change her mind.

"Ah, no need for that, sweetie," the hike said quickly, giving a hardy laugh. "I had a great time battling you and your friends. Best battles I've had in weeks (mostly cause they're the only battles I've had in weeks, but still...)."

"Wait a second," Sakura butted in, moving up while Hinata struggled with Aria, "we had a deal, remember? We battle you, and you tell us where we can catch some great Pokémon, remember?"

"Oh right," the hiker nodded. "Don't worry your pretty head over a thing, lass. I'm always good to my word. Now listen, because this is important if you want to catch any rare or strong Pokémon."

"Oh?" Suddenly, Sasuke forgot all about how angry he was at Hinata just giving up the battle he wanted to fight, and was instead listening intently as Sakura was.

"First, you follow this road," the hiker explained. "It goes right on through a forest in the hills. There, you'll come across all sorts of Pokémon. However, there's a trick to finding the good ones."

Sakura took in a breath. "And that is?"

The hiker's grin grew wide. "You have to look hard for them!"

"..."

For a few seconds, everyone was quiet. Then, Sakura spoke.

"You tricked us into battling you to tell us to just to tell us where we were _**already**_ going is the best way to catch wild Pokémon?"

"This might not end well," Naruto whispered quietly.

0o0o0

"You know, Sakura," Hinata pointed out as they walked down the road, "all things considered, you handled that pretty well."

"Yeah, I thought you were gonna explode for second there," Naruto piped in. Then, he added teasingly, "Guess even you have some self-control."

"Yes, now if only you could learn some, the world would be a better place," Sakura retorted. Did everyone really have to make a big deal over what happened?

"Looks like we're here," Sasuke interjected, not wanting the conversation to turn into an argument. He looked around at the forested hills for a moment. "Now what?"

"Now, I'm gonna catch a Pokémon," Sakura proclaimed confidently.

In her arms, Waterlily cooed in agreement. "Zu-zu!"

Behind her, Naruto sighed, looking at Hinata. "I guess the rest of us won't be allowed to catch anything we see."

"I heard that," the pink-haired said, turning around. "An no, Naruto, I won't stop you from catching anything. I just want to catch a good Pokémon." She winced a bit as she said the last part; it sounded so shallow. Sakura pondered a better way to word what she was thinking. "I mean, I want pick of the litter- no, that sounds even worse. Hmm, how am I gonna say this?"

"Don't worry about it," Naruto reassured her, shrugging playfully. "You just want to find a Pokémon you really click with, that's all. We understand; right guys?"

Hinata agreed quickly, with Sasuke nodding curtly. "There's nothing wrong with wanting to catch a strong Pokémon," he pointed out. "Good trainers should have high standards; it's normal."

Sakura smiled softly, feeling quiet grateful.

Suddenly, Naruto gasped, pointing. "Look! A Murkrow!"

Gasping, Sakura spun around, pulling out a Pokéball. "Where?"

0o0o0

"This is so awesome," Zaku cried, leaning his face into the wind.

He and the rest of the Sound Trio were high above the ground, riding in their brand new mode of transportation: a dirigible-shaped hot air balloon, colored in a snake-skin pattern.

"The Boss was so nice to give us this!" Kin laughed, looking over all the buttons and diels. "It just shows how much faith he has in us; don't you think so, Dosu?"

At the helm of their small craft, Dosu nodded, keeping a careful eye on the screens before him. "Indeed. It means we can't fail him. We're finding the Haruno girl, even if it takes us until dooms day!"

"Uh, Fearless Leader?"

Dosu turned to face Zaku. "What?"

"Not to hurt your enthusiasm, but how are we even gonna find her...for that matter, where are we even going?!"

"Yeah, where are we going?" Kin asked curiously. "I've been so distracted by our shiny new toy, I didn't even think about it."

Slowly, Dosu sighed. "Do I have to explain everything to you simpletons?"

0o0o0

The crow-like Pokémon cawed, flying lazily to a branch. As it preened its feathers, Sakura took out her Pokédex.

"Murkrow, the Darkness Pokémon," it chimed. "Murkrow are said to be bearers of bad luck and misfortune, and are feared and loathed wherever they make appearances. This is in no small part due to their habit of leading travelers up dark and dangerous paths until they get lost, and then flying away while laughing."

"It certainly looks unlucky," Hinata squeaked, noting the bird's witch-like appearance.

"Bah, doesn't matter," Sasuke growled, "I'll get rid of it and we won't have to worry anymore. Bayushi, use-"

"Wait a second!" Sakura cried, pulling him back. "What do you think you're doing? I'm planning on catching that!"

The dark-haired boy looked somewhat shocked. "Why on earth would you want that thing? Its ugly, mean-tempered, and bad luck."

"Sasuke, are you serious?" Sakura asked, bewildered. "Don't tell me you believe in silly superstitions like that."

Sasuke scoffed. "It's true. Murkrow are nasty birds, and we best stay away from them."

"Come on, Sasuke," Sakura said, trying to sound appealing, "be reasonable here. Just because you have a bad feeling about a Pokémon doesn't mean its bad, does it?"

"No," Sasuke replied patently. "Being _**bad luck**_ makes the Murkrow bad."

Sakura sighed. "Naruto, help me out here."

"Uh, I'd love to, but..." Naruto pointed. The Murkrow in question was now flying away. "The bird's making a run for it."

"Good riddance," Sasuke spat. That argument was over with.

The rest of the team, however, was not so pleased.

"Don't let it get away!" Sakura cried, skidding after the bird and pulling out a Pokéball.

"Right behind you," Naruto called.

"Oh my," Hinata said, following the two.

"But- uh, oh, Houndoom it all!" Sasuke growled, running after them all. "You do realize this is what the little demon wants, right?! It's leading us to our dooms, I hope you know!"

From the tress, a pair of big, orange-red, inquisitive eyes watched the group with interest.

0o0o0

"See, it's plain and simple," Dosu explained, pointing at a beeping GPS-like device. "The Boss arranged for this device to track the GPS signal in the Haruno girl's Pokénav. Now, all we have to do is follow the red dot."

"Huh, that sounds easy," Zaku said, scratching his chin. "We're not even two miles away; we'll be able to nab those eggs and bring them to the boss by dinner!"

"Yeah, if you aren't beaten by beginner trainers again," Kin snapped.

"Hey, you lost to them too!" Zaku retorted defensively.

"I was about to win when you crash landed on me!" Kin hissed.

At the pilot's seat, Dosu sighed, sinking downward. "Who thought the hardest part of a mission would be fighting the urge to throw your teammates to their deaths?"

0o0o0

"You're not getting away that easy! Waterlily, Bubblebeam!"

The Azuril puffed up her cheeks and fired; the barrage of glass-like bubbles zipped toward the Murkrow, who nimbly twirled to dodge them.

"Krow-krow-krow!" it laughed, wiggling its tail at them before making a sharp left out of sight.

"Oh, its taunting us now!" Sakura growled, speeding around the curve. Naruto followed her just as quickly.

"Wait, you don't know what it's leading us into," Sasuke warned; he had easily overtaken Hinata, and went around the corner, careful to slow down as he did so.

And it was a good thing to; both of his friends teetering over the edge of a pitfall, hands waving as they attempted to regain balance.

"See? What did I tell you?" Sasuke asked mockingly, grapping both Sakura and Naruto's arms to steady them. "Murkrows are nothing but troub-"

-BAM!-

Not realizing what was going on, Hinata had rounded the corner headfirst and crashed into Sasuke, who then bumped into Naruto and Sakura, sending both of them down the pitfall while still clutching his hands. "Uh-oh," was all the dark-haired boy could manage.

-CRASH!-

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" Hinata called, rubbing her head as she looked down the edge. "Are you all alright?"

"Ouch," Sakura grumbled, getting up and checking if Waterlily was okay. "We're little bruised, but nothing serious. Luckily, there was something soft to break my fall."

"Zu-zu!" Waterlily laughed, jumping up and down on the soft thing.

"Hey, could to stop that?" Naruto whined from beneath them.

"Oh shoot!" Sakura gasped. She tried to scramble off, but this only made her friend shout out in protest.

"Hey careful!" Naruto cried, "that's tender! How did you even land on top of me?!"

"How did you **all** land on top of me?"

The smothered voice came from beneath Naruto...it was Sasuke.

"Hey, how did you get under there, Sasuke?" Naruto asked innocently.

"**Get off me!**"

With much scrambling, Sakura and Naruto both got up and helped an irate Sasuke to his feet.

"First things first," Sasuke announced, brushing his front, "Where's Bayushi?"

"What a minute!" Sakura shouted, looking around wildly. "You had the lavender egg last Sasuke! Where is it?!

"Eevee!" Bayushi poked his head out from over the ledge, next to Hinata. In his jaws, he proudly held the strap for the egg case.

"Bayushi, you little angel!" Sakura called, making the Eevee blush.

"Good boy," his owner said, looking around. The pitfall was an easy 8 feet down. "Now, how are we gonna get back up there?"

"Naruto, give me a boost. Hinata, see if you can reach my hand," Sakura suggested. The pink-haired girl privately guessed that Hinata couldn't pull up any of the boys on her own, but she shouldn't have too much trouble pulling her up.

"Okay," Hinata said softly. She put the egg case she had been carrying, the one holding the yellow egg, down, making sure it was away from the ledge. Then she leaned over carefully, reaching down-

"Murkrow!"

"Look out!"

Sasuke's warning came too late; the Murkrow dove in from out of sight and slammed into Hinata's rump, shoving her over the edge.

"Uh-oh-"

-Crash!-

Once again, the friends found themselves dog-piled atop each other. Of course, Sasuke found himself buried beneath them all.

"Now do you think their evil?" Sasuke asked smugly, rapping his fingers on the ground.

However, the Murkrow wasn't done yet. Spotting the shiny case holding the lavender egg, the bird squawked with delight, moseying on over and pecking the glass gently. "Krow, Murkrow-"

"Vee!" Bayushi slammed into the Dark-type, knocking it back with a powerful Takedown. He hissed, jumping defensively in front of the egg case.

"Yeah, teach that demon bird a lesson!" Sasuke cheered.

"Krow!" the Murkrow cawed, rising into the air and flapping its wings hard and fast. "Krowkrowkrowkrowkrow!" It whipped up a Whirlwind, blowing it at Bayushi.

The Eevee cried out, trying to hold his ground; however, all too quickly he was blasted into the air, flying over the edge. "Veee!"

"Gotcha!" Sasuke cried, diving and catching his poor Pokémon.

Up on the ledge, the Murkrow cawed over its shiny prize. Wasting no time, it grabbed hold of the case's strap and started to fly off.

"No! Get back here!" Sakura cried, trying climb up the sheer wall.

"Come on, Naruto," Sasuke said, leading down grabbing the girl by one of her legs, "Help me toss her up."

As the team helped one-another up over the ledge, the same saucer-like eyes from before took in what had happened. Blinking, the owner gave a quiet hoot before taking to the air after the Murkrow.

0o0o0

Dosu steered the airship downward, flying toward the forest below. "According to the tracking device, we're closing in on them," he said, then added, "I'm switching to _stealth mode_ now. Stay quiet and alert."

The small jets propelling the Sound Trio's craft muted down to a soft hum as the ship slowed down noticeably.

Nodding, Dosu flipped on the autopilot and turned to his companions. "You guys ready?"

Kin nodded, putting down the instruction manual she was reading. "I've got my controls handled," she said quietly, "I memorized them earlier."

"Yep, same with me," Zaku added proudly.

"Ah, perfect," Dosu laughed, being sure not to be too loud. "With any luck, we won't even need to use our Pokémon. We'll just-"

-BAM-

Something feathery crashed into the young man's head, sending him sprawling. "What the Houndoom?!"

"Murkrow!"

Dosu whipped around to see a Murkrow hacking and cawing angrily at him; apparently, the blasted beast had not been looking where it was flying. Growling, he got up and trying batting it away. "Buzz off, you repulsive little monster!"

"Krow!" it responded, biting down on his hand.

"Ye-ouch!" Dosu cried, flailing his hand wildly trying to get it to let go. "Get it off!"

Zaku leapt into action, grapping one of the bird's wings. "Gotcha!"

However, the Murkrow responded by swinging something it was carrying right into the boy's face. Something that was hard and heavy.

Bong!

Zaku was sent sprawling, his head ringing like a bell. The Murkrow laughed through a beakful of Dosu's hand, swinging its prize at him next.

"Oh, no you don't," Kin hissed, grapping whatever it was mid-swing and trying to pull it away. Then, after actually seeing what it was, she gasped and started pulling even harder. "Suffering Shuckles, it's the egg! The thing's got one of the eggs!"

"What!?" Dosu looked, and sure enough, it was one of the egg cases; of all the luck! "Let go of it, you blasted bird!" he shouted, slapping the Murkrow's face with his free hand. "Drop it!"

This only angered the Dark-type, who clenched the strap with its claw all the harder, and bit down on Dosu's hand until it bleed through his gloves. The boy couldn't help but cry in pain. "Heeelllp!"

Meanwhile, Zaku had gotten to his feet, head still ringing. "Oohh," he sighed, pulling out his Voltorb's Pokéball. "Okay, okay, I'm on it. Boombox, Thunderwave."

"Torb," the Electric-type cried as he materialized, charging up. "Voltorb!" He released a mass of jolts at the Murkrow, lighting it up like a Volbeat at night.

"Murkr-" the Dark-type started, but the electricity coursing through it kept it from moving or making a sound. It twitched desperately, falling to the floor.

"There, that's taken care of," Zaku nodded, patting his Pokémon on the head.

Kin laughed, prying egg case's strap from the bird's paralyzed talons. "I'll take that." She laughed again, snuggling it and giggling like a kid on Christmas.

"Good thinking," Dosu squeaked to his friend, cradling his bleeding hand. "Now, pass me the first-aid kit, please."

"Yeah, sure," the other boy said, picking up the still unmoving Murkrow off the floor, "But first..."

And with that, he unceremoniously tossed the Pokémon over the railing and down to the forest floor below.

"Arrivederci, Sucker!"

"Muuukkkrooooow!" The Murkrow's helpless cry died out quickly.

"Ha-ha, good idea!" Kin cheered.

"Serves the little freak right," Dosu added. He patted his hand lovingly. "Now, please pass me the first-aid-!"

Suddenly, their ship retched uncontrollably to the left as a great wind blew up. The gale pitched, sending the three Snake Clan members spreading across the floor.

"What the heck is happening?!"

Angry crowing grabbed their attention. It was the Murkrow; still sparking from the Thunderwave, it had nonetheless recovered enough from its paralysis to vengefully unleash a Whirlwind attack. Giving it another powerful series of flaps, the Whirlwind did its job, tossing the balloon across the sky like a tennis ball.

"HELP!" Kin screamed, gabbing hold to whatever she could as their craft spun uncontrollably downward

"Hold onto something!" Dosu cried, "We're gonna crash!"

The gale-force wind hit their balloon hard, sending it spiraling out of control to the forest down below.

"_**AHHHH!**_"

0o0o0

"_**AHHHH!**_"

_-Crash!-_

"What was that?!" Hinata gasped. "It sounded like a plane crashing!"

"That would make a bigger boom," Sakura retorted, "probably a tree being chopped down or something. Now stop talking! We need to find that evil Murkrow."

The shy girl flinched as she was being admonished, but privately agreed with Sakura; they had to get that poor egg back to safety.

Ahead of them, both Akodo and Bayushi ran on, using their heightened senses of sight and smell to track down their foe.

"Shinx-shinx!" Akodo cried, turning sharply and leading the others to what he had saw.

Naruto was the first to what Akodo had found. "It's the Murkrow- -whoa, what happened to it?"

The Darkness Pokémon was sprawled out oddly on a tree branch, as if it had crashed into it, twitching and making gurgling sounds.

The party skidded to a halt, confused. While the rest of the team looked around, trying to find the egg (or whatever had attacked the bird), Sakura scratched her chin, thinking.

"I think it's Paralyzed," she surmised finally. "Maybe it got hit with an Attack while flying and then was able to partially glide down to that branch; but where's the egg?"

"Maybe the little thing's attacker took it?" Sasuke suggested. "Come-on, let's stop wasting time and see if we can find it. Bayushi, try to find the egg by smell."

The Eevee sniffed the air carefully, walking around and trying to find a trail. However, with a rueful sigh, he shook his head in defeat. "Veevee..."

"Oh, it's okay," Hinata said quickly, "you tried."

Nodding in agreement, Akodo patted the Normal-type on the back. Bayushi smiled, then quickly looked at him suspiciously.

"Let's see if Kata's aura sense can help," Naruto suggested, pulling out his Pokéball and calling him out. "Kata, the lavender egg was stolen, and we need you to see if you can sense it."

"Riolu," Kata said, saluting his trainer. Falling into the lotus stance and pounding his first together, the Pokémon hummed gently to himself as he pushed his aura outward. The group, gathered round him, the watched in silence. Slowly, the Riolu's eyes took on a soft glow, growing brighter and brighter. He was doing it!

"Riiiii-oh!" Quite suddenly, Kata fell onto his back, huffing and puffing. Sadly, he shook his head.

"He has trouble sensing people, so it must be impossible to sense an egg," Hinata pointed out.

"Fine, then we'll do this the old fashioned way," Sasuke said. "Split up and start searching for-"

"Hoo-hoo, hoo-hoo!"

The series of cries echoed through the forest, sending a chill down the children's spins.

"What was that?" Hinata asked, shivering.

" Hoo-hoo, hoo-hoo!" the calls echoed again.

"I don't know," Naruto said, acting braver than he was feeling, "but I think it's coming that direction. Come on, let's check it out!" The boy darted off, Kata following and Hinata close behind the two.

"Come on, Sasuke," Sakura called, running after them, "it might have something to do with whatever stole the egg!"

"It might be whatever stole the egg," Sasuke pointed out.

0o0o0

Slowly, Dosu pulled himself to his feet. Their craft had crashed into the trees, the balloon getting caught up in the branches. Even now, it hung a few feet above the ground. Dosu looked around, careful not to shake the ship for fear of making it fall from the trees.

"Down here, Dosu," a girl's voice called. Kin stood on the ground, calling to her teammate. "Get down here. Zaku's looking for his Voltorb; he thinks its got caught in the trees. Decibel and I've been helping him look for it, and the egg too."

"Good," Dosu sighed, looking for a way down. The escape ladder was hanging from the craft, and the boy was able to climb down, sore as he was.

"Boombox!" Zaku cried from out of sight, "Boombox! Where are you?"

The two followed his voice until they found the boy climbing down from a tree.

"Oi, find anything?" Kin asked.

Zaku shook his head. "Nothing; there's no sign of Boombox."

"What about the Pokémon egg?" Kin asked quickly.

"I wasn't really looking for it," Zaku responded. "I had more important things to-"

"Shhh," Dosu said quickly, pointing toward the treetops. "Look there!"

Resting on one of the branches was a small owl-like Pokémon. What was truly amazing, however, was that next to the Pokémon was the egg case!

"Alright, we found it!" Kin cheered, doing a fist pump.

"Hmm, that's a Hoothoot, right?" Dosu mused, watching as the Pokémon scanned the forest, apparently looking for something "Let's see if we can convince it go hand over the egg case without a fight."

Kin and Zaku both nodded, thinking back to their last fight with a bird Pokémon. "Hey, you," Zaku called, waving a hand, "look over here, Hoothoot."

"Hoo?" the Hoothoot responded, turning to face the trio.

"Uh, I was calling to you, Hoothoot," Zaku responded.

The Hoothoot tilted his head to the side. "Hoo?"

"You," Zaku repeated childishly, "don't you get that?"

"Hoo?" the Hoothoot asked yet again, his expression calm and even.

"You, obviously," Zaku sighed, rubbing his face.

For a few seconds, the Hoothoot just stared at them quietly. Then, it spoke up again. "...Hoo?"

Finally, Zaku lost his temper. "**You**! You, you, you! You, _that's who_, you stupid bird!"

Before the situation could escalate, Kin quickly smacked the boy on the back of the head.

"Hey, what was that for?! The Hoothoot started it!"

"The Hoothoot's a Pokémon," Kin pointed out angrily. "He _**can't**_ talk, you idiot!"

"Oh, right," Zaku gulped. "Yeah, well I just got up from crashing in an airship, so give me some slack!"

Dosu stepped between the two. "Let's just grab the stupid egg and see if we can get the ship back in the air."

"Hoothoot!" At this, the Hoothoot ruffled up his feathers and flapped up into the air. "Hoo-hoo, hoo-hoo!" he called, grabbing the egg case and flying off.

"Hey, that's ours!" Kin cried, scrambling after the retreating Owl Pokémon.

"Yeah, we stole that egg fair and square!" Zaku added as the boys joined the chaise.

"Hoo-hoo, hoo-hoo!" the Hoothoot responded mockingly, taking a sharp turn and flying up into the branches.

"Oh, no you don't!" Kin hissed, pulling out Decibel's Pokéball. "Stop him! Use Confusion!"

However, as the Chimecho appeared, the Hoothoot suddenly turned around, his great eyes shining. With a cry, they flashed with blinding purple light, stunning the Sound Trio and Decibel.

As the daze lifted, there was a crashing noise, and the sound of breaking glass. Dosu opened his eyes just in time to see the Hoothoot flying away with a now empty egg case. Dancing above them, Decibel held the egg itself. "Chime-chime-chime!"

"Decibel, you're beautiful!" Kin cheered. "Oh, you're in for a treat later!"

"Echo," Decibel nodded, dropping the egg into Dosu's outstretched hands.

The trio's leader rubbed the egg greedily. "Haha, well done." Dosu chuckled while Zaku and Kin crooned over how the boss was going to reward them. However, just as was about to suggest they to go back to the crash-site and see if they could get their ship back in the air, Dosu noticed something odd: the egg felt smooth and steely.

Gasping, Dosu started feeling the egg over; not only did it feel slightly cold to touch, like metal, but it also was shaped like a ball! Shocked, he knocked on the egg, and was rewarded with a dinging sound, not unlike as if he had hit metal. But that wasn't all he heard.

"Torp!"

Suddenly, something snapped, and Dosu blinked, as if waking up from a dream. And he was no longer holding the egg, but instead something red and white and starting to flash rapidly.

"Holy Miltank!"

**0o0o0**

-Back to the Heroes-

**0o0o0**

_**-KA-BOOM!-**_

"What was that?!" Sasuke screamed, skidding to a stop.

Sakura ran up behind him. "That's the second loud noise we've heard," she observed, "Only, that one sounded like an explosion."

"It came from the same direction as that hooting sound," Sasuke growled. "We better be on guard. Something's going on. Now come one, we gotta catch up with Naruto and Hinata."

Ahead of them, Naruto and Hinata heard the boom as well; the blond boy had responded by turning around and diving to the ground, grabbing Hinata with him.

"Bombers, hit the deck!" he shouted, trying to crawl for cover.

"Oh my!" Hinata gasped, covering her head. However, after a few seconds, the girl realized there was a second sound of wings flapping softly. Looking up, she saw the source of it. "Look Naruto!"

Naruto stopped trying to find cover and instead followed Hinata's instructions, seeing what the girl had shouted about. It was a owl Pokémon of some kind, and it was carrying the egg case!

"The egg!" Naruto cried, leaping to his feet. "We found it! Hey, what is that thing holding it anyway?"

"It's a Hoothoot," Hinata explained, taking out her Pokédex.

"Hoothoot, the Owl Pokémon," it explained. "Hoothoot have a perfect sense of time and rhythm, tilting their heads from side to side like a metronome. A Hoothoot is always aware of what time it is, and will start hooting at the same time each day. Because of this, people have employed Hoothoot as alarm clocks. Hoothoot are nocturnal and have very good night vision."

The Hoothoot in question flew back upon spotting the two trainers, retreating to a tree branch, giving the pair a cautious look. "Hoot?"

"Okay, I say we just get this over with," Naruto announced, stepping forward. "Hey, this is kind of hard to explain, but that's our egg; think you can give it back?"

"Hoo?" the Hoothoot responded, tilting his head to the side as if mulling something over.

"Yeah, it really is," Naruto continued, hoping they wouldn't have to fight and/or chase this Pokémon down (what happened with the Murkrow was still fresh in his mind, after all). After waiting for the Hoothoot to respond, he added, "Um, Hinata, think you can help me out?"

"Oh right," she gulped, trying to think of a way to explain what had happened. "Uh, well, actually, the egg belongs to our friend Sakura, and it was taken by a Murkrow. And well, we'd really appreciate it if you would give it back to us, please."

"Hoo-hoot," the Hoothoot said, jumping off the branch and spreading his small wings. He floated in the air, slowly gliding downward, holding out the case's strap toward the two trainers.

"Ah-ha, I can't believe that worked," Naruto laughed, reaching out to grab the egg case.

At the same time, Sasuke crashed through the bushes. "Naruto, Hinata, where are you?" He stopped upon spotting the two, as well as the Hoothoot holding the egg case. Sakura poked her head out from behind him.

"Hey look, they found the egg!" Sakura cried.

"Eevee!" Bayushi suddenly hissed, charging forward. He lost the egg to a bird once, and now was his chance to redeem himself.

"No, wait!" Naruto shouted, trying to move between the two Pokémon, but to no avail. Bayushi run right up the boy's front and jumped off his head right at the Hoothoot, slamming a Take Down into the Flying-type.

"Hoot!" the Hoothoot cried in pain, flying backward rabidly. "Hoot-hoo hoot!" he shouted accusingly. His eyes glowed purple.

"Sasuke, stop him," Sakura said, grabbing hold of the boy's shoulder. "I think the Hoothoot was helping them?"

"Really?" Sasuke asked. Considering he hadn't even ordered Bayushi to attack, he was still confused.

"Yes Sasuke! The Hoothoot was giving us the-" Hinata began, only to be cut off by Naruto pulling her away.

"Its attacking!" the blond shouted, "get out of the way!"

Too late to react, the rest of the party and their Pokémon were all caught in the Hoothoot's flash of purple light.

Groaning, Sasuke rubbed his eyes, a ringing in his ears. "Uhg, what was that?" He looked around. "Bayushi, where are you?"

"Vee-vee!" the silvery Eevee called in singsong. He was up in a tree, waving his tail tauntingly at his owner.

"Bayushi, stop that and get down here," Sasuke ordered. "You've got a lot of explaining to do. What were you doing attacking that Hoothoot like that, anyway?!"

Much to his shock, Bayushi responded by blowing a raspberry at him!

"Hey!" Sasuke shouted, both confused and angry. "I don't know what's gotten into you but unless you want to spend the rest of the day in your Pokéball, you better stop it!"

"Vee, vee, vee-vee-vee!" Bayushi laughed, jumping from one branch to the next.

"Oh, that is it!" Sasuke hissed, pulling out the Eevee's Pokéball. "Bayushi, return!" The beam from the ball hit his Pokémon, but didn't seem to have any effect. "I said return!"

Meanwhile, both Hinata and Naruto watched the scene unfold with great confusion. "I don't get it," Naruto mused while Sasuke shouted up at an empty tree and then started trying to aim his Pokéball at it, "why's he acting all crazy?"

"Not just him," Hinata pointed out. Sakura had fallen to floor in a fit of uncontrollable laughter, knocking the contents of her backpack sprawling all around her. Waterlily was trying to swim through the dirt and Bayushi seemed to be in a fight with an invisible enemy, wrestling with himself on the ground.

"What was that attack the Hoothoot used anyway?" Naruto asked, looking up at the Flying-type, who was now hiding in the safety of the high-up branches.

Hinata held up her Pokédex , which lit up to answer the question. "Confuse Ray," it explained. "Hoothoot releases a bewitching flash of light from its eyes that cause all caught in the attack area to experience visual and auditory hallucinations."

"Oh, so that's what's happening," Naruto nodded. He looked at everyone who was effected. "I wonder what they're dreaming of? Bah, in any case, we need to snap them out of it."

"Hoot," the Hoothoot said, suddenly jumping from his branch and gliding to the ground near Sakura. Setting the egg case down, he hopped over to her and gently tugged on her hair.

"AhaHAHahaHa- Da'what?" the girl gasped, jumping upward. "Stop Sasuke, don't atta...wait." Sakura took in a deep breath and looked around, seeing her stuff scattered around her, then at how everyone else was acting so loony. Then, she looked at the Hoothoot, piecing it all together. "...We were hit with the Hoothoot's Confuse Ray, wasn't I?"

"You're right. How'd you know?" Naruto asked.

"I've read up on a lot of Pokémon," Sakura shrugged, reaching over and shaking Waterlily awake, "Hoothoot is one of them. And I think we better wake up Sasuke."

The boy in question was now doubled over and leaning on his knees, his throat sore from yelling.

"Good idea," Naruto sighed. He tapped Sasuke on the shoulder, and then snapped his fingers in the other boy's face when he turned around. "Hey, wake up, you're starting to scare people."

"What?!" Sasuke gasped in surprise, falling backward onto his rump. He blinked for a few seconds, feeling as if he had woken from a dream.

"The Hoothoot over there got you with his Confuse Ray," Naruto explained as he picked up a stick and poked Bayushi (who was gnawing on a tree branch) awake. "You've been yelling at the air for the last five minutes. And don't attack him either," the boy added as the Eevee started to growl at the Flying-type, "the Hoothoot didn't steal the egg, he found it for us."

"Oh?" Sakura asked, looking at the Hoothoot again.

"Hoothoot," the Owl Pokémon nodded, hopping over to the egg case and nudging over to her.

"Oh," Sakura said, a bit shocked. "Uh, thank you." She picked the case up and looked the egg over quickly. Satisfied that it was safe, she smiled gratefully at the Hoothoot. "That was very kind of you. I don't know how you got this from that Murkrow, but if you didn't, we'd still be looking for it. Thank you very much."

"Hooo," the Hoothoot responded evenly, hopping backward and bowing polity. However, as he did so, the Hoothoot bumped into one of the Pokéballs that fell out of Sakura's bag. "Hoo?!"

The ball opened and sucked the Hoothoot in, jiggling for a few seconds before stopping with a soft 'ping.'

There was silence for a moment.

"What just happened?" Naruto finally asked.

"Sakura just became the proud owner of a Hoohoot," Sasuke replied, looking over at her. "Congratulations. You wanted a new Pokémon, you got one."

"Uh, whoa," Sakura laughed, picking up the ball, "This isn't what I was expecting, but hey, I caught a Hoothoot!"

"Zu-zu!" Waterlily cried in victory, jumping up and down.

"Caught? More like got lucky," Naruto pointed out quietly. Then he cleared his throat and added, "Why not try calling him out and see how the owl's feeling?"

Sakura nodded. "Good idea; come on out and let's get introduced." She opened the ball, and the Hoothoot materialized.

He stretched, staying calm and looking around. "Hoo?"

"Uh, hello Hoothoot," Sakura explained nervously, "you sort of bumped into my Pokéball and well, now you're my Pokémon. Hope you don't mind."

"Hoooo," the Hoothoot said, looking downward and thinking. He looked back up and nodded. "Hoothoot."

"Well, seems he's taking it well," Sasuke shrugged. "So, what are you going to name him?"

"Hmm, let me think," Sakura said. "Uh, any ideas?"

"How about Dr. Who?" Hinata suggested sheepishly. The Hoothoot hopped onto her shoulder, looking her over for a few seconds before nodding approvingly and flying over to Naruto.

"Hmm, I haven't really see that show, so I don't think so," Sakura responded, watching her new Pokémon.

"Uh, hi?" Naruto said nervously as the Flying-type looked at him in fascination.

"Hoo-hoo-oot?" he asked.

"Uh, yes?" the blond shrugged, not sure what to expect.

"Hoothoot!" With that, the Hoothoot quickly pulled out one of Naruto's golden hairs with his beak, stuffing it under his wing for later examination.

"Ow! Curious, aren't you?" the boy asked, rubbing his head.

The Hoothoot apologized in his own way, then hopped down near Waterlily, greeting her before he got over to Sakura's backpack, examining its zipper.

"How about Twilight?" Sasuke proposed.

"Hmm..." Sakura thought for a moment. Then, she broke out into a big smile. "Nah, but I got it!" She picked up the Hoothoot and placed him on her outstretched arm. "Guys, meet Owlowiscious!"

"What kind of name is that?" Sasuke asked, confused. However, Naruto's reaction confused him even more.

"Awesome!" the blond cried, doing the 'victory' sign. "You're a Brony, Sakura!"

"Actually, I prefer Pegasister," the pink-haired girl corrected, smiling nonetheless. "And I'm more surprised _**you're**_ a Brony."

"Heck yeah!" Naruto responded, giving a 'thumbs up.' "This teams now 20% cooler!"

"I-I like that show too," Hinata admitted shyly. "My sister and I watched it a lot at home."

"This is so awesome," Naruto laughed, clapping her on the back.

While Hinata turned red, Sakura looked at her new Pokémon. "So, is Owlowiscious a good name for you?"

"Hoothoot," the newly christened Owlowiscious nodded, giving a happy smile and a wink.

"Okay, what are you three even talking about?" Sasuke asked. However, for the first time, everyone seemed to be ignoring him.

"Hey, I bet you I can stream the episode Owlowiscious first appeared in," Naruto said excitedly, pulling out his Pokénav.

"Oh, that would be very nice to watch with lunch," Hinata pointed out.

"I'll get it ready," Sakura agreed.

"They've all gone mad, haven't they, Bayushi?" Sasuke sighed, looking down to his side at his faithful Pokémon...only to find him missing.

"Eevee," Bayushi laughed happily, crawling atop Naruto's head to get a better look at the screen. Owlowiscious also flew over, wanting a better look at the Pokénav itself more than what was on the screen.

As the everyone else seemed to entered into a world of their own, Sasuke could only watch on in defeat. "...I feel so alone."


	17. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer**

Let me just start out with the standard Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, Pokémon, or any of the associated or mentioned franchises/companies, and I am not making a profit on this.

The image I am using was made by BlissfulGold on , and I am using it with their permission. Please check out they DeviantART page sometime. 

**Review Response**

Okay, last time I told you I was moving upstate, and now I'm telling you we're almost done. We've moved all the important stuff to the new house, where we're all living, and now all that's left is to sell the old one. Yeah, glad all that drama is over with; now we just gotta adjust to living here (get new jobs, transfer to our new school, and so on).

On a pleasant note, last week was me and my brother's birthdays (they're 4 days apart from each other), so that was nice.

So, on to my reviewer responses:

1. sakura240

It's pronounced Owl-O-wicious (rhymes with delicious), and the name is a reference for all Bronies, so I guess you're not one of us. Meh, to each their own. Glad you liked the chapter, and thank you for your review as always.

2. Duo8834

Yes, Hoothoot seemed perfect for Sakura to me(hence the reason I gave her one, ha-ha). Your idea with Murkrow has merit, friend. Thanks for your advice.

3. Outcast001

I thank you for your advice, and now have added a list of the main cast's Pokémon at the beginning of each chapter. Hianta having a confrontational Pokémon and Sasuke having one that grinds against his preferences would be very interesting.

4. melon lord

Glad you are so enthusiastic about by little Brony reference. And lots of people are voting for one of the girls to get the Vulpix, hmm.

5. PhoenixFTW

Yes, Naruto's bragging does feel a little out of character, but I do think he was very full of himself at the start of the story; when first teamed up with Sasuke, he asked why an 'amazing ninja' (the Class's Dead Last) like him would be teamed up with a loser (the Class's Top Student) like Sasuke, after all. Though I do admit, the extent of his boasting was a bit over the top; I'll have to avoid that from now on.

6. sapphirewitch565

Thank you for your impute. There may be sweet natured moments between Sasuke and Sakura, but I don't plan on turning my fic into a romance. Our heroes have other goals and dreams, not to mention they are only 12 at this point.

7. Emmerlaus

Okay, I will take note of that.

8. shadespace

Uh, thank you very much for your very forward review. Hmm, Sandile, eh? Got that tallied in the votes. Axew might work for Naruto, but for some reason, Deino's line doesn't pull at my heartstrings (though maybe for Orochimaru).

9. Princess Chic

Hello there, and welcome to my fic (I think you're new here, right?). Anyway, my editor actually suggests avoiding having the team catch new Pokemon for now, so that I can (1), flesh out the personalities of their current team-members, and (2), to avoid the pattern of each one catching a new Pokémon each chapter in turn. However, your advice is appreciated, and yes, I do think having Sakrua have Chansey would be too stereotypical. Hmm, there are a number of grass type that can learn healing powers, and Chikorita is not automatically off the list for being a Starter-type (Ash normally has 3 each team around, after all).

10. sakuralovelight

Hello there. You sent me a PM a while back that I forgot and never responded to. Sorry about that. Anyway, your idea for Sakura having Torchic is very interesting, though I am also considering Rock Lee having one. Hmm, still, your idea is very interesting. Thank you very much.

And now readers, for the results for the Poll to determine which Pokémon Naruto would eventually catch: Between Larvitar, Sandlie, and Gligar. Including votes that were changed, and one from my niece, the results are:

Gligar, in third place at a grand total of 6.

Larvitar, placing runner up with an impressive 19 (21 including votes which were not changed).

And the winner is Sandile, at 21! Okay, that seals the deal. Naruto will be adding a Sandile to his team down the road; you the readers have spoken. However, in honor of Larvitar's near win (or actual win had I not allowed votes to be changed), he'll get a special appearance and be owned by a major character. Feel free to suggest Larvitar's trainer and name, not to mention the name for Naruto's Sandile.

And so, on to our next poll. Let's see what Sasuke's next Pokemon should be. I got a few ideas myself (several Bird Pokémon, such as Taillow/Swellow, the Pidgeot line, Rufflet, or Altaria even), and I'd love to hear some of yours. I'll take the best of them and set up a poll to chose the one Sasuke will get. Thanks a million my faithful readers, and here's hoping I can update this fic with more regularity and keep up with life!

-0o0o0-

_**The Hero's Pokemon thus far:**_

Sasuke Uchiha's

1. Bayushi, a male Eevee with a rare snowy white coat.

2. Togashi, a male Chamander

3. Akodo, a male Shinx

Naruto Uzamaki's

1. Kata, a male Riolu

2. Puck, a male Furret

3. Jet, a male Buizel

Sakura Haruno's

1. Waterlily, a female Azurill

2. Jane, a female Mankey

3. Owlowiscious, a male Hoothoot

Hinata Hyuga's

1. Rhapsody, a male Totodile

2. Waltz, a male Butterfree

3. Aria, a female Buneary

-0o0o0-

Pokémon Konoha

Chapter 14

Sakura knelt in a beanbag by a fireplace with Waterlily at her side, looking at her Pokénav. She and her friends were staying at the Pokémon Center in First Snow Town, a small settlement at the start of the Snorunt Breeze Mountains. "Hey, Hinata," the girl said, looking up toward her companion, "according to my map feature, there's a cable car system not to far from here that can take us to Winterborn valley; from there, it's just a little while to Winterborn City itself."

"That's good," Hinata responded, nodding. "I'm glad we'll be making it so soon."

"Hmm, that will leave us with almost a week and a half to train for the contest," Sakura mused, scratching her chin.

"Contest?" Hinata asked, "What contest?"

"I didn't tell you?" Sakura gasped, looking shocked. She thought for a moment, then realized she hadn't told any of her friends about the Pokémon Contest. "Oh, sorry about that. I can't believe I forgot. You see, there's this Pokémon Contest for new Coordinators in Winterborn City, and I'm planning on entering..." Sakura started to trail off at the last part, not sure if she wanted to admit her plan of entering a contest for Coordinators.

"You're into Pokémon Coordination?" Hinata asked, clearly surprised. She stared for a few seconds in silence.

Sakura cringed, knowing her friend's view of her was going down. Pokémon Coordination was a shallow, self absorbed sport used by would-be beauty queens to live vicariously through their Pokémon, after all. Hinata would think lowly of anyone who would use their Pokémon to put up such a gaudy display like-

"Oh, how wonderful!" Hinata cried, clapping her hands together in joy. "I love Pokémon Coordination. Oh, you're so brave, going up on stage and in front of all those people. And this is going to be your first time doing it too! Oh, what sort of appeal do you plan on using-?" Hinata suddenly realized that she was being so loud that other people in the center were looking at her. The shy girl clammed up like a Cloyster.

"Wait, you actually _**like**_ Pokémon Contests?" Sakura asked, more than a little shocked. After all, Hinata mentioned her family ran a successful and old dojo; wouldn't they be the sort view that kind of event with distain and disapproval?

Hinata nodded, waiting for everyone to go back to their own business before speaking again. "Yes, I like them very much. Father used to take my family to the Konoha Grand Festival every year. Sometimes, we even went to other region's Contests too."

Sakura nearly gagged. "Seriously? I thought he was a strict Dojo Master Sensei or something like that."

Hinata nodded, smiling a bit. "He is; my mother was a Coordinator; she liked to enter Contests, even though she never became a Top Coordinator. Father said that was a crime; her Pokémon and her were such good dancers. Wait- why are you asking?"

"Um, well," Sakura gulped, thinking fast. What was she suppose to say _now_?! She looked at Waterlily for advice, who just shrugged. "Um, well, the truth is- uh, well, you see-"

Hinata looked at Sakura, tilting her head to one side a bit. "Yes?"

"Well, um, the truth is...I have no idea what I'm doing," the girl finally coughed up weakly.

The dark-haired girl looked at Sakura for a moment, blinking. "You don't? But, I thought you were going to enter into a Contest?"

Sighing, Sakura reached into her bag and pulled out the old flier Ino had given to her and started to explain the story.

"So you see," Sakura finished, "I accepted her challenge, but, I don't know anything about Pokémon Contests; in fact, I'm not sure I even like them."

"But, why would you say that?" Hinata asked, looking the flier over. She quietly noted that unlike what Ino said, it had nothing about Kushina Uzumaki giving away one of her Ninetales's Vulpix pups; that must have been a rumor.

"Well, I don't wanna hurt your feelings," Sakura admitted, trying to be as tactful as she could, "but, I've always thought of them as being just something for people to live vicariously though their Pokémon, like a child beauty contest. I mean," she added quickly, "I know that's not entirely true, but it's just that-"

"I-I see," Hinata said, looking downward. "I know that some people think Pokémon Coordination are shallow, frilly fashion shows that only care about physical beauty and appeal." She paused, folding her hands together and taking in a breath. Then she looked up, doing her best to hide her disappointment. "But, that's not what Coordination is about at all! Really, its about talent and grace and skillfulness and- and, and lots of other stuff." Hinata thought for a moment. "Where did you get your opinion about Pokémon Coordination anyway?"

Sakura winced, taking in a slow breath. "Yeah, I'll admit; I've only seen one Pokémon Contest on TV before, and that was a long time ago. But, in my defense, I've also been reading this magazine on it." She pulled said magazine out and handed it to her friend. "What I'm reading doesn't improve my views on Pokémon Coordination. It was pretty superficial, really."

Hinata looked over the cover and shook her head. "Sakura, this is little more than Gossip Tabloid; I don't think you could learn anything about this."

"Okay, so that wasn't a good research source," Sakura sighed, rubbing her temples. After a while, she spoke up. "Hinata, I'm really, really, _really_ sorry I judged something so special to you without knowing anything about it."

"Thank you, Sakura," Hinata responded softly, nodding. "I-I know you meant no harm. But, now what are you going to do about the Contest? You've got a lot to learn, and not much time to learn it in."

The pink-haired girl gritted her teeth, realizing her friend was right. She massaged her forehead, thinking hard. However, a gentle prodding at her side was distracting her train of thought. "Zu-zu!" Waterlily cried, pointing an ear at Hinata and jumping up and down impatiently.

"Of course!" Sakura cried, grabbing the other girl's hand. "That's it! _You_ can teach me, Hinata!"

"Me?!" Hinata stuttered, taken back, "b-but, I'm not even a Coordinator!"

"So what?" Sakura responded insistently, "you learned from your mother and you've seen so many Contests, you must know the 'Ins and Outs' of it all by heart! What's more," she went on, a twinkle in her eye, "_**you**_ should enter the Contest too!"

"What?!" Hinata gasped, this time falling backward (had Sakura not been holding her hand, she would have hit the floor). "But, me? Performing in front of all those people? Me?"

"It would be so great!" Sakura laughed. "I'm sure you'd do great; oh, and your family could even see you on stage!"

"...wait, they could?" Hinata asked, blinking.

Suddenly, both girls realized they had much such a ruckus that everyone else in the room was looking at them.

"Hey, buzz off!" Sakura shouted, waving her hand wildly at the crowd.

0o0o0

"Hi Honey!" Mikoto laughed, smiling big over the Pokénav.

"Hello Mother," Sasuke resounded, smiling back. "I've got some free time, so I thought I'd call you."

Over his shoulder, Naruto waved. "Hey, Mrs. Uchiha! I'm here too!" The two boys sat on their beds in the room provided to them by the Pokémon Center.

"Why, hello Naruto," Mikoto said.

From behind her, a certain red-haired lady poked her head into the screen's view, smiling from ear to ear. "Hi baby! I was wondering when you'd call!"

"Mom?" Naruto gasped, a bit surprised, "What are you doing there?"

Kushina shrugged. "I had business in Crown City, so I thought I'd pay my best friend a visit. And low and behold, you thought about calling. How perfect is that?"

"That's great, Auntie Kushina," Sasuke said, blushing ever so slightly.

"How's our little Pokémon Masters' journey going?" Mikoto asked pleasantly, taking a sip of her tea.

"We're doing great!" Naruto cheered.

Sasuke nodded, pulling out his Antidote Badge. "We earned our first badge already."

Of course, the boys' mothers insisted they tell them the whole story of their encounter with the Snake Clan and how they saved the eggs and the day (Naruto did embellish his battle against the two Beedrill, but not by much). Then, Naruto recounted how he caught Jet, letting the Pokémon out to show him off. He also mentioned how Hinata got Aria and Sakura caught Owlowiscious, though not in as great detail.

"Haha, you're having quite the adventure it seems," Mikoto said after the boys were finished. "I must say, I'm very proud."

"That makes two of us," Kushina added. "It's like you're the main characters of your own story. You sure a TV crew isn't following you around?"

"Very funny Mom," Naruto retorted.

"Sasuke," Mikoto interjected, scratching her chin, "You mentioned that Bayushi used Hidden Power. Do you have any idea how he knows such a Move?"

From his owner's lap, Bayushi's ears perked up. "Vee?"

Sasuke was caught off guard by the question, and stumbled with his answer at first. "Oh! Um, well, I talked to a nurse at a Pokémon center, and she pulled up Bayushi's medical record. According to that, Itach-" Suddenly, he paused, quickly glancing at Naruto and Kushina. "I mean, it seems like Bayushi knew it as an Egg Move. I guess the battle unlocked it."

"Oh, how exciting," Mikoto mused. However, she could tell Sasuke wanted to talk to her more about it later, privately.

"I'm really glad you two are having such an amazing journey," Kushina said, changing topics before things got awkward, "You know, I'd really like to see you battle in person. I bet your father would too, Naruto."

"Moooom, I haven't been gone for a month even!" Naruto protested, blushing.

"I know, I know," Kushina laughed, "I'm just having a hard time cutting the apron strings, baby."

"All things, considered, however," Mikoto added, "It would be nice to see both of you in action, not to mention, meet your friends. You are keeping an eye on your friends, aren't you, Sasuke?"

"More like the girls are keeping an eye on us, Mrs. Uchiha," Naruto responded.

"Well, I don't want to tell you anything yet, but we may just get our wish yet, you two," Mikoto said, smiling cryptically.

"Hey, what's that mean?" the blond boy asked, tilting his head. "You're not gonna try and go to Winterborn City just to pay us a visit? Please tell me you wouldn't."

"Oh come now, we wouldn't do that," Kushiha said, feigning insult, "Why, I wouldn't go to Winterborn City just to see you. That would be irresponsible; I do have a job I need to do, after all."

"Okay, I get it," Naruto laughed. "Anyway, we left the girls waiting for us, so we better get going. Love ya, Mom! Tell Dad high for me; nice seeing you, Mrs. Uchiha!"

"Good bye, Mother, Auntie Kushina," Sasuke nodded. Then he added, somewhat awkwardly, "Give Father my regards."

"Don't worry, I will," Mikoto said. "I love you very much, Sasuke. Always do your best." Then she smiled at Bayushi. "Keep him safe, Bayushi."

"Vee-vee!" Bayushi responded, jumping.

"Now, remember to brush your teeth, darling," Kushina said, looking very serious. "Also, be sure to bath as often as you can; you never know when you'll get the chance to do so in the wilds. Oh, but don't wash in ponds while you're in the Snorunt Breeze Mountains, even hot springs, because the cold air will freeze you as soon as you get out. Make sure you play with your Pokémon and keep them happy; life's more than battling, you know. And don't forget to wear clean underwear every single day, and be sure to wash between your-"

"Mooooooooom!"

"Okay, okay, I get it. I love so, so much, and miss you every day! Good bye, Baby!"

After their chat with their mothers, the two boys got up, stretched, and headed off to find the girls.

"I really hope they don't come to see us in Winterborn," Naruto said, putting his hands behind his head. "I'd feel like such a little kid if that happened."

Sasuke scowled. "Yeah, but they're only trying to say their care. Even if it's like they're babying us." He paused for a few moments, and then added, in a much more serious tone, "Hey, if they did come to Winterborn, you think my Father would come, too?"

Naruto glanced at his friend, and then sighed, rolling his eyes. "Your old man's always busy. Don't see why he'd care enough to come see you. Why do you even want his approval?"

"That's my father you're badmouthing!" Sasuke hissed savagely, looking like he was about to come to blows with the blond.

"What's going on, Sasuke?"

The two boys turned to see Sakura and Hinata walking towards them. "Please you two, don't fight," Hinata begged.

"We weren't going to," Sasuke mumbled, putting his hands in his pockets.

Sakura thought otherwise, but chose to drop the subject. "We were just going to ask you if you'd like to go for a walk around. There's a park nearby where trainers can have battles."

"We can do that I guess," Sasuke shrugged.

"Sounds good to me," Naruto agreed.

With the girls leading the way, the team set outside. First Snow Town's buildings were all spaced apart, each standing alone with a wide yard around them. The town's ground was all dirt and stone, the only plant life growing in a few people's yards.

"Whoa, it's chilly," Naruto shivered, wrapping his arms around himself. "It's hard to believe the sun is shining down when it feels so cold."

"The winds that blow down from the mountaintops are freezing cold year round," Sakura explained, "Ice-types congregate together in these parts for that reason. According to folk lore, an old Articuno made her nest up in a cave on the highest mountain." The girl pointed up at a misty peek that towered above the rest, its tip reaching beyond the clouds. "However, when humans came, her chicks were curious, and flew down to see these strange creatures up close while their mother was away. A human trainer caught them, and when the Articuno returned, her chicks were missing. She flew around and around the mountains, calling and calling for them. With each flap of her wings, the air got colder and colder. They say that the cold winds we feel are actually the flapping of the Articuno's wings as she flies in her unending search for her chicks."

As if on cue, a chilling breeze blew down on them; Naruto shivered again. "Sheesh, how'd you know all that anyway?"

"I'm smart like that," Sakura grinned, looking smug.

However, Hinata leaned over and whispered, "She read it in a pamphlet in the Pokémon Center."

At this, the blond scowled at the pink-haired girl. "You shameless know-it-all."

Sakura laughed, shrugging at him.

Before anyone could say anymore, a sight caught there eyes: there was a group of young children gathered outside around a playground area. A young woman with the look of a kindergarten teacher was reading a storybook to them, a blue bird Pokémon with white, cloudy wings humming along.

"Hey, what's that Pokémon?" Naruto asked, pulling out his Pokédex.

"Altaria, the Humming Pokémon," it chimed. "Altaria are gentle, pleasant natured Pokémon that will envelop their friends with their soft wings and hum soothingly, their voice a natural beautiful soprano. Altaria enjoy flying on sunny days, their white wings making them look like clouds."

"Well, they look like they're having fun," Hinata pointed out, watching as the teacher got her students to sing along a song about the alphabet.

"That Altaria certainly seems to be a good Pokémon to keep around children," Sakura agreed. "And it looks so sweet and pretty."

"Yeah, well don't get your hopes up on catching one," Sasuke said, looking over Naruto's shoulder at his dex. "Considering Altaria are Dragon-Types, I don't think you'll find a wild one in a cold place like this."

"Oh well," Sakura shrugged, "I wasn't all that interested in it. So, I guess we'll see if anyone at the park wants to battle-?"

A grumbling from Naruto's belly cut Sakura off, causing the boy to laugh nervously. "Yeah, but maybe we should get something to eat first."

"Uh, you're a bottomless pit Naruto," Sakura started, but she stopped when her own stomach started to grumble.

"You're one to talk," Sasuke grunted, rolling his eyes. Ignoring the girl's blush, he looked around. "There's a place that sells soup over there. Come-on."

"Mmm, hot soup!" Naruto cheered, sitting down at the bench. "Hey, you think they got ramen here? I haven't had that in so long."

"What's ramen?" the old woman behind the counter asked, shuffling over. "We've got one soup each day, and one soup is good enough to fill youngins like you up and warm ya from the cold winds of the mountain." Without being asked, she set out four bowls and spooned out helping of a thick stew that had chunks of potatoes, vegetables, nuts, meat, and rice.

"Thank you," Sakura said, taking out cash to pay for the meals. "It smells wonderful."

The old woman smiled. "You know, there's a story behind those cold winds." She paused, pulling up a chair and getting ready to start her story. "Long ago, before these mountains were even settled, a great and beautiful bird settled a top the highest mountain. She had feathers of blue ice and her breath was a winter's mist."

"We already know the story of Articuno and how she flies around the mountain making the wind," Sasuke interjected, trying to cut the old lady off.

"The bird was called Articuno, and she made this land her home," the old woman continued, seemingly not even hearing the boy.

0o0o0

_**About Half an Hour Later...**_

0o0o0

"I think the old lady was a better story teller than you, Sakura," Naruto mused as the team walked off.

"She did make it more interesting," Sakura nodded. "And her soup was very good."

"Bah, that little story of hers took over half an hour," Sasuke sighed. "Besides, she sneaked us two more bowls while she told it and then charged us for them." The boy would have gone on, but something cold and wet flew into his mouth. "Bleh! What was that?!"

Sakura looked up, eyes widening. "Well, would you look at that? It's snowing," she said, holding out her hand and catching a snowflake. "It's light and a little wet, but it's snow."

"Snow this time of Autumn?" Naruto asked skeptically.

"Considering how close we are to the mountains, it's likely a light snow was blown down from higher up," Sakura theorized. "It happens sometimes, even if it's rare."

Hinata watched the snow fall in wonder; it had been so long since she'd last seen it. Remembering the occasion brought a sad smile to her face. However, before she had a change to dwell on the memory, an outcry sounded, grabbing both hers and the rest of the group's attention.

Back at the playground area, the group of children from earlier where now crying, their teacher trying in vain to calm them down.

"I wonder what happened to them?" Sakura asked aloud, tilting her head. "Why would a kid be crying when it's snowing outside?"

"Maybe it frightened them or something?" Naruto asked. "I know the first time Sasuke and I saw it, it scared us silly; right Sasuke?" he added, giving a sideways smile at his best friend. "Remember what happened to us on our first snow day?"

"Don't even go there," Sasuke hissed, glaring back at him. There where some events in a person's life that were best forgotten.

"Oh? What happened?" Sakura begged, burning with morbid curiosity.

"Uh, I know it's not our place, but maybe we should ask what the problem is?" Hinata suggested, bringing their attention once again to the class of young children. "Maybe we can help them?"

"No way," Sasuke said flatly, turning to walk away, "I don't wanna be dragged into another person's problem."

"Good idea, Hinata" Naruto nodded, grabbing Sasuke by the scruff of the neck. "It's good karma to help people out, and this looks interesting."

"I'll have your heart for this!" Sasuke promised, struggling as he was pulled backwards over to the playground.

Ignoring Sasuke's threats, the team walked up to class of children. "Excuse me, is something wrong?" Sakura asked.

One of the crying children looked up at her with big eyes. "Teacher Mandy lost Windy!" the little girl cried, pointing at the adult woman.

"You lost a child?" Sakura gasped, looking horrified.

"No, no! Calm down, all of you," Ms. Mandy begged, holding up her hands. "We don't know if anything bad happened yet!"

"But you said Dragons don't like snow!" a little boy bawled. "And you sent Windy off and now its snowing and she's gone forever!"

"First off, who's Windy, and why she gone?" Sasuke piped in, getting out of Naruto's grasp and straightening out.

"Windy's an Altaria, our class mascot," the teacher explained, "We had a field trip in a nearby mountain cave earlier and I remembered I left my backpack there, so I sent Windy to fly over and get it; but that was almost half an hour ago and she's still not back and with the snow- wait, why am I even telling you this? I don't even know you!"

"Oh, right," Naruto said, rubbing the back of his head. "Well, I'm Naruto, and this is Sakura, Sasuke, and Hinata." He pointed at each friend in turn. "Anyway, we're Pokémon trainers, and we just thought we might be able to help."

Ms. Mandy said hello to everyone and sighed. "Uh, that's very kind of you, but I don't know if I should trust a bunch of strangers-"

She was cut off by her class's rising cries. "Teacher! Teacher, let's _**all**_ go find Windy!"

That gave Mandy a jolt. "Wait, children, wait! These nice trainers have offered to find Windy for us," Mandy said quickly. "Just please, calm down, and _**stay**_ here." She turned back to Naruto and Sakura, bowing. "Thank you so much for offering to help. I'd go myself, but I have to watch the children."

"We're glad to help, and it is not trouble, Ms, Mandy" Sakura responded with a slight smile, trying to put on a good face for the children. "Just tell us how to find the cave you were exploring earlier."

The lady nodded in thanks, pointed at a path. "Just follow that road out of town and you'll find a road sign depicting which path to use."

"Okay, got it!" Naruto cheered. He smiled at the kids, flexing one of his arms and winking. "Don't worry, kids! We'll get Windy back; you can count on us, we're really strong trainers!"

The sniffling of the children died down, and a few even cheered with the boy.

Rolling his eyes (but still smiling) Sasuke started down the path. "Come on, let's get going." He shivered in the cold. "Grr, and let's be quick about it. This may just be a freak snow fall, but we still need warmer cloths if we wanna get to Winterborn without freezing."

"Vee-vee," Bayushi agreed, snuggling up to his trainer's neck to help warm him.

"You don't have anything warmer than that?" Ms. Mandy asked, cringing a bit.

"Yeah, but don't worry," Sakura said, suppressing a shiver, "it doesn't look like this snow's going to last much longer anyway."

"E-e-excuthe me?" a small voice squeaked.

Everyone looked around a bit before realizing it had come from a small girl hidden at the back of the group. Shyly, she stepped forward and pointed a nervous finger at Bayushi. "Thorry to interrupt," she stuttered with an adorable lisp, "b-b-but, what ith that Pokémon, Mithter?"

From his perch on Sasuke's shoulder, Bayushi perked up, looking at the girl playfully. Sasuke smirked. "He's an Eevee."

"Nu-uh! That's not right!" a boy with a Pichu-style hat blurted accusingly. "Eevee are brown, and that Pokémon's white!"

"Don't be rude! Sometimes Pokémon come in different colors, Avery," Ms. Mandy said sternly. "However, I must admit, I didn't notice earlier, but your Eevee does have a very pretty coat."

"People keep telling me," Sasuke responded, somewhat amused.

Bayushi batted his eyes bashfully, doing his best to catch his fur in the light. Doing so caused a stray snowflake to fall on his nose and make him sneeze. "Chu!" With that, the Eevee lost balance and fall off Sasuke's shoulder and into a pile of snow.

The class broke into a fit of giggles.

"Awww, he'th tho cute!" the shy girl with the lisp sighed, twisting with her jacket.

"Can I pet him?" another girl asked, reaching forward.

"Oh-oh! Me too! Me too!"

"Can I?"

Soon, the whole class was moving forward with their arms outstretched.

"Calm down, all of you," Mandy pleaded. "You can't rush up and try to pet someone else's Pokémon, especially without asking them first!"

"Vee," Bayushi sighed, jumping out of the snow pile and shaking his fur dry.

"Awww..." A collective groan of disappointment came out from the gaggle of children.

The Eevee looked up at Sasuke, not sure what to do, and the boy looked back down at him in thought.

Sasuke turned to Sakura, who smiled bashfully. "Hey, when else are they ever going to see any Pokémon as amazing as your Bayushi?"

The dark-haired boy chuckled. "Alright. Bayushi, go say hello."

"Vee-vee," the Eevee chimed, hopping right into the girl with a lisp's hands.

"Eeeee!" she squealed in delight, her classmates crowding around her.

"Now, don't push, children," their teacher said, trying to maintain control of her class, "and be sure to thank Mr. Sasuke for letting you see...uh, sorry but, what was your Eevee's name again?"

"Bayushi," Sasuke responded. He thought for a moment. "Hey, Bayushi, stay here and keep on eye on everything. And behave yourself."

"Thank you, Mithter Sathuke," the little girl called.

From her arms, Bayushi looked at him questioningly, but resigned himself to being the children's playmate soon enough.

"Sasuke, are you sure about that?" Sakura asked as they walked off on the path that would take them to the cave. "I mean, that was very nice of you, but, uh..."

"Bayushi can handle it, and he knows to behave for kids," Sasuke said. He glanced over his shoulder. "Besides, it shouldn't take us long to find that Altaria and bring it back. And that woman needs all the help she can get keeping her kids in line."

"Whoa, that was very nice and thoughtful of you, Sasuke," Hinata smiled.

Sasuke looked at the two girls, tilting his head. "So? Is it that weird for me to do something nice?"

Next to him, Naruto nearly chocked with suppressed laughed. "Uh, yeah!"

The dark-haired boy sighed, rolling his shoulders. "Uhg, come on, let's get this over with. And with any luck, we won't run into any weirdoes along the way."

0o0o0

_**A little earlier, up in a mountain cave…**_

0o0o0

"_**Aaah-CHU!**_"

"Zaku, cover your mouth when you sneeze!" Kin hissed angrily.

"Sorry," Zaku said, shivering in his blanket; it was the only thing he was wearing aside from his boxer shorts, and the cave they had taken refuge in was almost as cold as the outside.

"Don't be too hard on him, Kin," Dosu called from near the cave's entrance, making sure their precious airship was safe and secure. With the balloon deflated, it had fit easily into the wide cave, protected from the dangerous winds that would have torn the recently repaired envelope apart. "Remember, Zaku fell into that snow pile and got soaked to the bone because you wanted to try landing it."

"Okay, I get it." Kin held up her hands in defeat. "Anyway, let's set up the heater and dry ourselves and Zaku's clothes; personally, I think I've seen more of Zaku shirtless than I ever want to see again."

Her shivering teammate stuck his tongue out at her. "You love watching boys in swimsuits with your binoculars; what's the difference?"

"For starters, about 20 pounds of muscle, a cute face, and a well-oiled chest," Kin responded teasingly. "And I only do that once in a while."

"Hey, I've been working out!" Zaku protested, flexing one of his arms. However, it didn't do much. "And I'm not bad-looking; a lot of girls say I'm cute, even!"

"Oh really?" Kin asked, raising an eyebrow. "How many girlfriends have you had in the last year?"

"Oh yeah, well how many boyfriends have you had?!" Zaku retorted, "As if anybody would wanna be within 20 feet of someone as nasty as you!"

Before the two could go on, Dosu moved between them. "Listen, you two lovebirds; instead of showcasing your bizarre affections for each other, could we set up the heater already?"

_**"We are not lovebirds!"**_ Zaku and Kin shouted in unison.

"Whatever," Dosu said, shaking his head. "Let's get to work."

Grudgingly, Kin helped Dosu get the portable heater out of the ship while Zaku sat down and wrapped his blanket around himself tightly.

Soon enough, the device was set up in the middle of the cave and on. "Ah, there we go," Dosu said with satisfaction, "Nice and warm. Kin, bring Zaku's clothes over so they can try faster. Zaku, come on and get yourself heated up."

However, as he got up, Zaku noticed movement from deeper in the cave. Gasping, he turned toward it. "Hey, there's something in here."

From behind him, Kin rolled her eyes. "Don't you dare start that now, Zaku. You know I hate horror films; the monster always goes for the pretty one first, and I can't help but think of me when that happens. After all, I am a stunning creature myself."

"No really," Zaku insisted, ignoring his teammate's delusional talk. "I think I see something; come over here."

"I don't think this is a good idea," Kin whined as Dosu got up and followed the other boy. However, she still chased after the two.

"Don't worry," Zaku said over his shoulder, "it's not like a monster's just waiting to jump out and-"

"_**MAWILE!**_" A huge, gaping maw of iron teeth shot out from around the bend, snapping at the trio.

"AAAAAH!"

Dosu fell backwards and pawed the ground for a large rock to throw at the monster, while Zaku shrieked like a little girl, clamping onto Kin, squeaking the breath out of her.

"It's gonna eat us!" Zaku cried, "Hold me!"

"Can't…breath!" Kin gasped. Then she started mouthing a few words and tried pointing, but Zaku was too panicked to notice.

"Screw that, I wanna live!" Dosu shouted, heaving a rock bigger than his head at the monster maw. "Come at me!"

-SMASH-

The rock hit the thing and shattered.

"Wile! Wile!"

Much to Dosu's shock, the monster shrunk away, retreating and whimpering. "That's it?" he asked in disbelief.

"Take a closer look," Kin said as Zaku relaxed his grip on her.

Both boys did as she suggested, and realized what she meant. The 'jaws' of the monster were connected to the back of the head of a small black-and-yellow Pokémon. The Pokémon in question was now cowering in a corner of the cave, weeping and covering her cute face.

"That's the monster?" Zaku asked, tilting his head.

"No, that's a Mawile," Kin sighed. "Those jaws on the back of their heads are actually steel horns, and they use them to scare predators. And get off me, you creep!" she added, pushing the still shirtless boy to the floor.

"Oh, sorry about that," Zaku said quickly, feeling himself blush slightly. He looked at the still weeping Pokémon. "Awe, I think we scared it, guys."

He got up and crossed the cave over to the Mawile, and held out a hand. "There, there, you poor little thing, we didn't mean to scare ya. We were just looking for a place to- YOUCH!"

The Mawile's jaws quickly clamed down onto Zaku's hand, biting down briefly before letting go. As he pulled away, the Pokémon smiled and let out a malicious laugh.

"Why the Houndoom did you do that?!" Zaku gasped, scampering back.

"Mawile is called the Deceiver Pokémon," Kin explained, "not only because it uses the jaws on the back of its head to scare foes, but also because she uses her cute face and hypnotic charm to trick enemies into lowering their guard so she can get the drop on them."

"You certainly know a lot about them", Dosu observed, nodding fairly.

"I've always wanted one," Kin admitted, looking at the snickering Mawile with an eager expression.

"Then why didn't you warm me ahead of time?" Zaku demanded angrily.

"This seemed more amusing to me," Kin admitted, sneering.

"Ma-ma-mawhile," the Mawile laughed, winking.

"Oh, you are so gonna get it!" Zoku shouted. He reached for his Pokéball, but he didn't have his belt on (or his pants, for that matter).

"Looking for this?" From behind him, Dosu stood near the heater and held up Zaku's belt of Pokéballs. He pulled one off and tossed it to his friend.

"Thanks," Zaku said, catching it. "Now, go Boombox! Let's teach this deceiver a lesson!"

"Voltorb," the ball Pokémon called in monotone as he materialized. He started to spark up with power. "Voooll-"

"Maw-wile!" Quick as a flash, the Mawile darted forward and lashed out with her jaws, clamping down on Boombox and trapping him in one gulp.

"-torb?!" the Voltorb squeaked in shock as the Mawile started to chew on him.

"She ate Boombox!" Zaku cried, cringing in horror.

"Actually, she can't eat with the jaws on the back of her head," Kin explained. "She's just going to chew on him until he stops struggling."

"Boombox, fight back!" Zaku ordered. "Use Thunder Wave!"

However, instead of building up electrical power, Boombox's body started to glow and flash within the Mawile's jaws.

"He's using Selfdestruct!" Kin cried. "Take cover!"

"Vol-torb," the ball sighed sadly from between the Mawile's teeth. _Not __**again**__…_

-BOOM!-

Strangely, the exposition wasn't as devastating as normal. Instead, the boom seemed subdued, just barely shaking the cave and blasting the Mawile's jaws wide open. Boombox flew at the cavern wall and bounced off it like a Ping-Pong ball before finally hitting Dosu in the stomach and sending both to the ground.

"Oh, sorry man!" Zaku called. However, his attention was quickly drawn back to the Mawile. "Hey, shouldn't she be hurting more?"

The deceiver Pokémon did look terrible, sprawled across the cave floor with her jaws left wide open and her eyes unfocused and spinning. However, considering that she just took a Selfdestruct in her jaws, the Mawile seemed to be doing pretty good.

"Mawile are Steel-types," Kin said, "Selfdestruct isn't very effective against them; however, even a Steelix would be stunned by taking one in the mouth. Our little friend didn't stand a chance."

"Well, in that case," Zaku laughed, "I'm gonna catch her!" He reached for a Pokéball from his belt, but remembered he wasn't wearing any pants. "Oh shoot; Dosu, toss me a Pokéball!"

His friend, however, was still on the floor winded.

"Ma…maw…" The Mawile started to stir.

"Oh no you don't," Zaku hissed, jumping over Dosu and looking for his belt. "You're not getting away after all this."

"No she isn't," Kin said, pulling out one of her own Pokéballs. It, like the rest of her set, had a steel top with a musical note carved in it. "Sorry, Zaku, but every Snake Clan grunt for themselves!" With that, she tossed it.

The ball hit the Mawile and beamed it in. The Pokéball shook twice before pinging off.

"Yes! At last, I caught a Mawile!" Kin cheered, scooping up the ball and pirouetting around.

"Whatta ya' mean, **you** caught a Mawile?" Zaku demanded angrily. "Boombox is the one who weakened her! That should be my Pokémon!"

"Stop whining," Kin laughed, smiling sardonically. "All's fair in love and Pokémon; it's not my fault you didn't have the balls to catch her."

Dosu, who had just gotten back on his feet, snickered childishly. "Oh, she got you good that time."

"Thanks for the support," Zaku growled.

"Besides," Kin went on, "I know a lot more about Mawile than you do, and can fully appreciate her style. They're much too subtle and underhanded for your brutish methods."

Zaku scowled, but Dosu cut him off. "Oh, just let her have the blasted thing. You don't even like it to be begin with, and Kin said she wanted a Mawile."

Zaku sighed, shaking his head. "Fine, but you owe me one, Kin."

"Yay!" the girl cried, spinning around with glee. "Haha, hmm," she mused, looking at the Pokéball. I think I shall call you…Diva."

A cold wind blew though the cavern, causing everyone (especially Zaku) to shiver.

"Brrrr, I don't know about you guys, but I'm going to stay by the heater and polish poor Boombox for a while," Zaku announced, picking up his Voltorb.

"Suit yourself," Kin said, shrugging. "I'm gonna go explore this cave some more and see if I can find any other interesting Pokémon around. Wanna come along, Dosu?"

"Sure, if Zaku thinks he can manage by himself," Dosu responded.

The boy looked up from where he was sitting by the heater and nodded. "No problem, knock yourself out. It's not like you're gonna meet that Sakura girl and her friends or anything."

0o0o0

"Ah-chu!" Sakura sneezed.

"Looks like the snow's getting to you," Naruto said. "That lightweight windbreaker ain't doing you any good; wanna wear my jacket?"

The pink-haired girl shook her head. "First off, cold weather doesn't give you a cold; that's an old wives' tail," she explained, noting it was the second time she had done so. "And second, you need your jacket yourself, Naruto. So thanks, but no thanks. Besides, it looks like the snow's getting lighter."

"Thank goodness," Sasuke sighed, suppressing a shiver, "it was stupid of us not to at least get heaver clothes before doing this."

Beside him, Hinata nodded. "And dangerous, too; if this weather turns into a blizzard, we won't be prepared for it. We need to be careful and take the snow seriously from now on."

Naruto felt his teeth chatter. "Y-yeah, maybe we should go back and find something warm to wear first?"

"No," Sasuke said flatly. "We're almost there anyway, and the snow's clearing up. I say we just though through the cold and get this over with fast."

"Yeah, but there should be something we cold do to keep warm in the meantime," Sakura added, pulling Waterlily close and making sure she was completely covered by her windbreaker. The girl smiled slyly and jokingly added, "perhaps you think we should huddle up close together, hmm, Sasuke?"

The dark-haired boy snorted in disgust. "No way." However, after thinking for a bit, he pulled out a Pokéball. "However, I just got an idea. Togashi, come on out."

The Charmander appeared with a flash of light. He smiled and waved hello, but then shivered slightly when he realized there was snow everywhere. "Chaaarrr-r!" he shivered.

"Yeah, I know it's cold," Sasuke said. "We need to get to a cave and find an Altaria. Think you can keep us warm while we search?"

"Char-char," Togashi cheered confidently. He pointed his tail at the trainers and took in a deep breath, concentrating hard. The flame at the tip started to grow, blazing up to twice its original size, letting off a warming glow. "Charmander," the Fire-type sighed, wiping his brow.

"Good job, Togashi," Sakura smiled, kissing him on the head. "I feel better already." Within her windbreaker, Waterlily gave her thanks as well.

The Charmander blushed, squirming bashfully.

"Excellent work," Sasuke nodded. He picked Togashi up and held him piggyback, allowing the group to huddle together for warmth. Sasuke then turned onward; with the thinning snow, the cave they were seeking was somewhat visible now. "Come on, we're almost there."

Huddling around the Charmander's warm tail, the team made their way to the cave in short order.

"Look at that," Hinata said, pointing at the snow outside the entrance.

It took a while for the others to realize what she meant: the ground showed clear signs of being disturbed recently.

"Hmm, too bad none of us know how to track," Sakura mused, kneeling down to take a closer look. "Otherwise, we could find out what did this, and when."

"Most of the tracks are covered by fresh snow anyway," Sasuke pointed out. "And can figure out what did it anyway; we know an Altaria was here. That's all we need to know. Let's keep going."

The cave branched off two different ways, a map mounted on the wall showing that the two paths eventually met at another cavern, allowing people to either come back to this entrance or continue off to one higher up that led to another trail. Sakura found more signs that someone or something had passed through recently. As Sasuke set Togashi down, she tried examining as best she could. "It looks like it went that way," Sakura said, pointing to the left path.

"Good thing Togashi's out. His tail's a perfect lantern." Naruto pointed out.

A weak cry from up ahead echoed down the tunnel. "Al..ta…"

"What was what?!" Naruto gasped, jumping in front of Sakura and Hinata protectively. In the pink-haired girl's arms, Waterlily shivered in fear.

"Al…tari…" the weak voice called.

"Guys, I think that's the Altaria!" Sakura cried.

Besides her, Hinata tittered, feeling dizzy all of a sudden. "I think…I think she's in pain," the girl said softly.

"Come on, let's see what's going on!" Naruto grabbed Sakura's hand, who in turn yanked onto Hinata's, and the three bolted off, Sasuke and Togashi running besides them.

They came upon the inner chamber, about the size of a large office or apartment. And old bench had been set up near the far wall, a second map mounted nearby. Lying across it, Windy the Altaria looked up at the newcomers, cold and shivering. "Ria," she chimed in greeting, lifting her head.

Sasuke started to move towards her, but Naruto's hand shot out. "Something's wrong. Look at her wings; they're all funny-like." Indeed, the Humming Pokémon's wings were not folded neatly beside her, but instead sprawled out awkwardly, with Windy clearly taking care not to put too much pressure on her right one.

Hinata shook away her dizziness, observing the situation with strange clarity. "She sprained the right one."

Holding up her hands to show she meant no harm, Sakura waited until Windy bid her come closer before walking over and taking a look. After some gently feeling here an there, she made her amusement. "Her right wing _**is**_ sprained; thank goodness, I thought it looked to be broken. Hmm, I think the left one is just bruised and a little tender. –wait," Sakura asked, looking directly at Hinata, "how did you know all that?"

The silence that filled the chamber was overwhelming. Hinata stood quietly, unsure herself. "Uh, I don't know…I must have guessed."

"Pretty good guess," Sasuke said, tilting his head.

Before anything could come of the strange turn of events, several things happened in rapid succession.

One, Windy let out a shrill cry, making everyone look in her direction.

Secondly, when the team turned, they spotted the source of her distress: a rock the size of a bowling ball was flying right at Sasuke, a pale glow encompassing it. "Sasuke, look out!" Sakura screamed

And then, as Sasuke started moving out of the way (and Naruto jumped to try and force him to the ground), Togashi leapt at the rock, slashing with his claws.

Much to everyone's surprise, the din of metal rending stone filled the room as the rock shattered to bits. The Charmander landed amid the rubble, both of his claws reflecting a metallic sheen.

"That's Metal Claw!" Sakura exclaimed.

"But what threw the rock?" Sasuke growled, his face in the ground after Naruto pulled him down (though he'd later thank the boy for trying to save him).

"Ahahahah!" two voices laughed. From the entrance to the other cave, two familiar figures stood with a Chimecho floating between them.

"Darn, you almost got him Kin," Dosu growled, snapping his fingers.

Kin smiled wickedly. "I'm kinda glad I missed; I wouldn't wanna see that pretty face go splat," Kind admitted. Then she smiled wickedly. "I'd much rather see it twist in the pain of defeat."

"You again!" Naruto spat, instinctively reaching for a Pokéball from his belt.

"Yep, us again," Kin growled, striking a pose. "And this time-"

"-we're gonna rock your world," Dosu finished, striking a matching one. With that, the two broke into their song.

**!**

_Listen up, and listen well,_

_To the tale we have to tell,_

_Our notes are harsh and our coils are winding_

_Around you they wrap completely binding,_

_Fall to your knees as we rock all Nations,_

_Fillin' People's hearts with our black sensations_

_Our hearts are pumpin', our entrance is grand,_

_Live from the Snake Clan, we're making a Stand,_

_Dosu,_

_…_

_And Kin!_

_We're the Sound Trio, stealing the spotlight!_

_So surrender now, or prepare to fight! _

**!**

As they finished, Decibel's face turned ghostly and she loosed an Astonish attack that blew up dirt around the two. "Chimecho!"

A brief moment of shock followed. Naruto broke the silence quickly. "Sound Trio? There's only two of you…and your song felt off at some parts."

"Zaku's not here," Kin growled, "so we had to make due without him. Now, enough of the niceties! Hand over those two eggs now!"

"Yeah, like that's going to work," Naruto said, rolling his eyes. "Go Puck!"

"You too Waterlily," Sakura commanded as the Furret materialized.

"Oh my," Hinata gasped. She had started reaching for a Pokéball, but stopped when she heard Windy cry out in fear. Deciding that her friends would be able to handle this, the girl moved over and started stoking her beak gently. "Easy girl, don't worry. We're here to save you. Nothing bad is going happen."

Across the battlefield, Dosu tossed a ball. "Octave, time to battle." The Kricketune appeared and made a series of threatening slashes.

Sasuke smirked. "Time for a rematch then, Togashi! Let's get this party started with Ember!"

"That again?" Dosu laughed. "Counter with Swords Dance, Octave! Just like last time."

Togashi fired a mass of flaming darts, but the Kricketune spun rapidly, deflecting them all.

"You never learn," Dosu grinned smugly.

Without warning, the ground beneath Octave exploded, a long, furry body jumping out of the hole and slamming his head into the Bug-type's chin.

"Boo-ya!" Naruto cheered. "We got you good!"

"Use Fury Cutter," Dosu ordered. Octave slashed with his scythes, hitting Puck in the stomach. However, the Furret disappeared in a puff of smoke. "What?"

"That's Substitute," Naruto laughed. "Okay Puck, Dig again!"

"Ember Togashi," Sasuke ordered.

Across the battlefield, Kin and Sakura were also locked in combat. "Use BubbleBeam, Waterlily!"

"Astonish," Kin countered.

The Azurill loosed a barrage of high velocity, glassy bubbles, while Decibel fired a ghostly scream. When the two attacks crossed paths, Sakura expected them to clash, but instead, the Astonish when right through the BubbleBeam! Decibel had been expecting this and flew up above the bubbles, while Waterlily was caught off guard and hit.

"Zu!" she cried, being thrown back.

"Good, now use Confusion!" Kin cried, thinking she was getting close to victory!

Decibel's eyes lit up, her body glowing blue. Waterlily was lifted into the air by her psychic grasp, flying at the ceiling.

Instead of panicking, Sakura was calm; she had learned from her last confrontation with a Psychic-type, and had a plan. "Waterlily, use Water Sport, just like we practiced!"

"Aaa-zuzuzuzuzuzuz!' With a quick breath, the Azurill started firing off blasts of water at the roof, which then exploded and rained back down. The distracting drips of cold surprised Decibel, breaking her concentration enough for Waterlily to maneuver around and shoot a Water Gun at her, setting the Water-type completely free.

However, Water Sport's effects weren't all good. The sudden rain fell all over the battlefield, including right onto Togashi.

"Mander, mander!" the poor Fire-type shrieked, shielding his tail in terror.

"Hey, watch it!" Sasuke barked.

"Sorry!" Sakura winced.

"Pay attention!" Naruto shouted, but it was too late.

The Ember attack Togashi had fired at Octave was dosed by the drizzled out, and when Puck emerged from the ground to attack, the Kricketune was ready, zipping up high about it,

"Excellent evasive maneuver," Dosu said, "Now, Supersonic!"

"TuUunnne!" Octave sang, crossing his scythes. He ground the fore-blades, and a new, horide sound filled the cavern.

-YEEEEEEEEHHHH!-

It sounded like someone playing a series of off-key notes on a bad violin at maximum volume. The shrill noise seemed to distort the air, and Naruto couldn't help but cover his ears; besides him, he saw his friends doing the same thing.

Their Pokémon were also affected. Togashi whipped his tail erratically, eyes wide and distorted as he fired off random tuffs of flame. Puck's lower body was still underground from his Dig attack, and he was reduced to clamping his paws over his ears as hard as he could to try and avoid the Supersonic.

Meanwhile, Waterlily's super-sensitive hearing was now a curse, sending waves of pain throughout her body as the sound seemed to be getting louder and louder. Unable to think clearly, she started breathing in deeply, preparing an Uproar to try and drown it out.

Sakura realized what was happening. No! An Uproar in the middle of a cave was _**not**_ a good thing for anyone! She had to stop her Pokémon before she brought the ceiling down on them. "Waterlily return!" Sakura shouted, pulling out her special blue-topped Pokéball. The beam hit the Azurill and she was recalled to her ball for the first time in months. "I'm sorry baby," Sakura apologized.

"Quickly, Kin!" Dosu hissed urgently, wanting to take advantage of the confusion. "Move now!"

The girl nodded. "Decibel, get the Furret with Confusion. Lift him into the air."

"Echo!" Decibel's eyes glowed once again, and Puck was lifted up above the ground, still trying to keep the sonic sound from affecting him.

"Do it, Octave," Dosu ordered, waving to his Kricketune.

The horrid sound ceased all at once, and Octave spread his scythes wide, wings buzzing to build up speed.

"Look out Puck!" Naruto cried. Nearby, Sasuke shouted for Togashi to use Ember, but the confused Charmander instead hot smoke at his trainer.

"Kricke-TUNE!" Octave flew at the squirming Puck, slashing with a pair of Fury Cutters well before the Furret was able to stop him.

"Ret!" Puck hit the ground limply, not so much as stirring or trying to get up. He was knocked out and unable to fight.

"Puck, no," Naruto squeaked weakly, pulling his Pokéball out. "I'm so sorry." He recalled the Furret.

"Char, char!" Nearby, Togashi's panic confusion was getting dangerous as he slashed at the air with Metal Claw.

Sasuke held up his Pokéball. "Togashi return!" The Charmander dematerialized, and Sasuke quickly grabbed the other Pokéball from his belt. "Akodo, we need you-"

"Altaria!" The crazed scream was punctuated by blast of green fire that hit the ceiling; a DragonBreath attack.

"Whoa!" Hinata cried, being thrown to her back by Windy's flailing. The girl looked up at the rest of the team. "She's been confused by the Supersonic!"

"Duck!" Naruto shouted as the Altaria fired another DragonBreath.

Sasuke dove forward, avoiding the attack. "Grrr, you guys worry about the Sound Losers!" With that, he scrambled to his feet, rushing to the crazed Altaria. The boy leapt up, grabbing her beak and wrestling her head to the ground. Sasuke wasn't trained in Pokémon medicine like Sakura, but he knew restraining a confused Pokémon was key to helping them regain their senses. "Come on now, stay down!"

Across the cave, Kin smiled. "It looks like we're winning."

Dosu frowned. "Yeah, so wrap it up before they regain their senses and get those eggs!"

Kin spat a nasty face at her partner, but knew he was right. "You heard him, Decibel, use Confusion and bring the egg the Pinkie has to your mama."

Clapping her hands together, Decibel did as she was told, psychically gripping Sakura's egg case from her backpack and lifting it away.

"No!" Sakura cried, jumping up and trying to grab it. However, the Chimecho floated it out of her reach.

"Got it!" Kin laughed, "One down, one to-"

"Jet, Quick Attack!"

"Waltz, the egg!"

It was Naruto and Hinata's's voices shouting the commands, accompanied by the unmistakable light of Pokéballs opening.

-Voom!-

A blur of orange zoomed over, smacking into Decibel and breaking her concentration. Before the case could hit the ground, a Butterfree swooped down, catching it and handing it back to Sakura. The orange blur cheered at their success, and it became apparent what the Pokémon was: a Buizel.

"What?" Kin gasped, "Since when did they have a Buizel?"

"They're trainers," Dosu said, "They catch new Pokémon every now and then."

"That's right," Sakura growled, tossing a ball, "here's another new one: Owlowiscious, use Confuse Ray!"

The Hoothoot appeared, pausing a brief moment to take in the scene so he could attack with maximum efficiency. However, that moment was all Kin needed to react.

"Safeguard now, Decibel!"

"Chime-Chime!" The Chimecho's body glowed a soft blue-green as she swayed back and forth, letting out a comforting chime. She showered all of her team and trainers in sparkling dust just as Owlowiscious's eyes flashed.

"Ha, you got them!" Naruto cheered.

However, Sakura shook her head. "No, Safeguard shields the user's team from any special conditions. Confuse Ray won't work on them now."

"That's right," Dosu said, "Little tricks like that ain't gonna cut it, but Octave might cut you! Use Fury Cutter on the Buizel!"

"Krick-krick," Octave sang, jumping at Jet with his scythes spread.

"Fight back with your Slash!" Naruto responded.

Jet's blade-fins glowed white, sparking as he clashed them against Octave's scythes. The two pushed against each other, locked for a moment before Octave back-stepped, breaking away and lashing from the right. Jet countered with one fin and slashed his foe across his midsection, earning a satisfying cry of pain for the Bug-type. "Bui-zel!" the Water-type laughed, following up with a second strike.

Meanwhile, the girls had also entered into battle.

"Decibel, grab the Hoothoot with Confusion," Kin commanded.

"Try to counter that with your own Confusion, Waltz," Hinata suggested.

Decibel's unleashed her blue psychic-aura, gripping Owlowiscious. However, Waltz's eyes glowed a mystical magenta, and an aura of the same color shined over the Hoothoot, negating Decibel's.

"Thanks Hinata," Sakura said quickly, "Okay, Owlowiscious, use Night Shade!"

"Hoothoot!" A beam of black light fired out Owlowiscious feather-crest, hitting Decibel.

"Eee!" The Chimecho was blasted back, stunned by the Super-effective attack.

Hinata saw the opening. "Tackle her Waltz!"

"Free-free-free!" Flapping his wings hard, the Butterfree dove down and then bull-rushed Decibel upward into the cave's roof.

"Throw him off, Decibel!" Kin shouted.

"Chime-ECHO!" Breathing in deep, Decibel loosed an Astonish, blasting her foe away. Her success was short-lived, however, as a beam of Night Shade hit her again. "Cho!" Gasping, the Psychic-type fell into a dive and flew off, taking evasive maneuvers as Owlowiscious chased after her, firing away.

The Chimecho flew right past Octave and Jet, causing the pair of foes to jump back in shock as Owlowiscious followed (not shooting any Night Shade attacks as he did so, not wanting to take a chance at hitting Jet).

"Jet, jump back and use Water Gun!" Naruto called.

The Buizel nodded cockily, doing as he was told; the steam of water struck the Kricketune's face, dazzling him briefly-

-which is exactly what Naruto wanted to happen. "Now Jet, while he's distracted, close in with Slash!"

"Zel!" Jet jumped into action, sliding across the floor with a fin-blade ready to hit home.

Dosu had other plans, of course. "Octave, Swords Dance followed by Fury Cutter, now!"

The Kricketune spun like a top, deflecting Jet's Slash with ease. What's more, as the Buizel was still recovering his footing, Octave moved around to Jet's back, using the momentum from his Swords Dance to slash the Buizel across the back with a vicious Fury Cutter.

"Bui-!" Jet was sent sprawling across the floor, struggling painfully to get up while Octave raised his scythe for what would be the finisher.

"Protect him, Waltz!" Hinata cried quickly.

"Brree-Free!" A magenta aura surrounded Octave's scythe before it could be brought down. Up in the air, eyes a-glow, Waltz heaved his psychic power, hauling the Kricketune up and away from Jet.

"Don't let that pipsqueak boss you around; break free and attack!" Dosu ordered.

Growling angrily, Octave wretched in the air, breaking free from Waltz's Confusion. As the Butterfree gasped in shock, the Kricketune zipped at him, slashing his foe across the side.

"Free!" the Butterfree hissed, dipping away from a second Fury Cutter and then trying to use Confusion once again. However, the attack never became more than a glow in his eyes, as Octave kept attacking, forcing Waltz to dodge rather than concentrate his power. Twice more, this pattern continued, and twice, Octave landed his increasingly powerful Fury Cutter.

"Psychic-type attacks are weak against Bugt-types, you foolish child," Dosu pointed out mockingly. "You're Butterfree doesn't have the power to take on Octave."

"Oh yeah? Why don't you just take a sneak attack Water Gun and shut up!?" Naruto yelled. His words were punctuated by Jet blasting water at Octave's back, hitting hard.

"Kricki!" Octave swore; that one really hurt!

"Now Waltz, Tackle him!" Hinata shouted.

"_**Brrr-Freeeeee!**_" With all his might, Waltz slammed into Octave, flapping over and over as the two plummeted to the ground. The Butterfree drove the Krickitune into the ground, hitting so hard a dust cloud formed.

"Octave, get up!" Dosu called.

Hinata watched the dust settle while holding her breath. "Waltz?"

Finally, the scene became clear; Octave lay on the ground, twitching weakly, while Waltz stood glaring down at him, breathing heavily.

The Butterfree looked up at his trainer, smiling proudly. "Brr-Free!"

"No," Dosu hissed in disbelief. However, nearby, he saw Kin moving towards him, her Chimecho clearly scared of the Hoothoot's Ghost-attacks.

"This can't be happening!" Kin gasped. "We were winning!"

"Chime." her Pokémon sighed, glaring daggers at her foe.

"They ganged up on us," Dosu spat, recalling his poor Octave. "And even then, we were still fighting strong!"

"You cheaters!" Kin shouted, stomping her foot.

"Cheaters?" Sakura asked with mock concern. "Oh on, we cheated in this legal and completely league sponsored match! If anyone ever hears about this, our reputations will be ruined! What ever shell we do?"

"Sakura's right; you crooks got no room to talk," Naruto said, stepping forward. "Now, get out of here before I get mad!"

Behind them, no one noticed, but it appeared that Sasuke had finally gotten Windy to calm down. "Ah, that's it," the boy panted as he slowly let go of her beak. "Stay calm. It's almost over."

"We're not beat yet!" Kin shouted, throwing a Pokéball. "Diva, let's see what you're worth!"

The ball opened, and a small, wicked-looking fairy-like Pokémon appeared. "Mawile!" she hissed, a set of great jaws coming from the back of her head snapping.

"What the heck is that?' Naruto asked aloud, pulling his Pokédex out.

"Mawile, the Deceiver Pokémon-" it began.

"Attack now!" Kin shouted, "Use Captivate!"

"Wile," Diva laughed wickedly, turning so she was looking over her shoulder at the team's Pokemon. Winking and giving a kiss, she blew out what looked like pink, heart-shaped glitter. The attack spread like a mist, sweeping over the battlefield. In an few moments, Owlowiscious, Jet, and Waltz were all covered in the glitter-like attack.

"You dirty cheater!" Naruto shouted, however, his attention was drawn to his Pokémon's behavior.

"Bui-zel," Jet moaned, blushing lightly and swaying a bit. Nearby, Watlz too was turning slightly red in the face, looking downward and shaking his head hard, while Owlowiscious lost is coordination in flight and tumbled oddly to the ground.

"Eh?" the blond gasped, taking a step back, "Why are they acting like they're drunk or something?"

"Captivate dazzles the foe and makes them goofy with happy, flirty feelings," Sakura explained, "They're, you know, twitterpated."

"Oh so they're twitterpated," Naruto responded, nodding. "Well, we can fight through it; Jet, attack with Slash!"

"Zel," the Buizel nodded, slapping himself to clear his head. He rushed at the Mawile, fin-blade glowing. However, before he attacked, for some reason Jet couldn't help but notice how much of a cutie she was, and then his feet felt heavy and his body felt sluggish. Distracted by all the strange feelings, his Slash attack was not really as fast as he wanted it, and Diva dodged it easily.

"Maw-WILE!" Screeching viciously, she suddenly whipped her head, spinning her great jaws on the back of her head around and slamming them into Jet. The impact loosed a ringing sound not unlike a big bell's tone, and left the Buizel sprawled out onto the floor.

"Ha, that was Payback," Kin point out to Dosu. "Nice work Diva."

"Buizel!" Jet hissed, jumping back to his feet. However, he quickly stumbled and fell back down, and then clumsily getting up, head spinning as he tried to balance himself.

"Come on, boy, fight through it," Naruto called.

Beside him, Sakura called Owlowiscious back. "Captivate lasts as long as that dust stays on your Pokémon. However, it doesn't affect Pokemon of the same gender at all!" With that, she tossed Waterlily's ball, calling her back into the fight.

"Zuuu," the Azuril sighed weakly, feeling dizzy; it had been so long since she had been in her Pokéball. It was more than a little disconcerting.

Jet lashed out with two more slashes, each one a lazy attack Dive dodged while laughing wickedly.

"Waltz, see if you can blow the Captivate dust away," Hinata suggested, suddenly getting an idea. "Try a Whirlwind."

"Bree-Bree." Flapping hard, the Butterfree rose into the air, building up power for a gust of wind. However, he suddenly slowed down, the Captivate taking effect for a moment. But, that moment was all Diva needed.

Without being instructed, she rushed forward, shoving Jet to the ground and attacked with her great jaws. They clamped down on Waltz, and, much to everyone's surprise, lit up with electricity. Waltz screamed against the super-effective Electric-type attack.

"Oh, a Thunder Fang," Kin laughed. "Doesn't Diva have some wonderful moves?"

"LET HIM GO!" It was Sakura shouting, punctuated by Waterlily's BubbleBeam. The attack hit and stunned her, making the Mawile drop Waltz, who fell unconscious to the floor.

"My poor baby," Hinata moaned, recalling him. "I'm so sorry."

"I'm getting really tired of your stupid beach ball attacking in the middle of me being awesome," Kin growled. She looked at her Chimecho, still floating behind her faithfully. "Decibel, grab that thing with Confusion and throw her into Diva's jaws!"

In an instant, the Psychic-type obeyed, mentally hoisting Waterlily into the air and flinging her at Diva, who flipped around and opened her jaws wide, electricity sparking along there teeth.

"Waterlily no!" Sakura screamed.

" BUIZEL!" Crying out with unprecedented rage, Jet lunged at the Mawile, shoving her to the ground. As Waterlily landed on her tail and fired a Water Gun at Decibel, the Buizel pinned his foe down, pounding a Slash attack on her, his fury against all Electric-types drowning out Captivate's effect.

"Yeah, that's it, hit her hard!" Naruto cheered.

Instead of shrieking in pain, the Mawile hissed angrily as Jet cut her on the cheek; the attack was shallow and didn't look painful. With a great cry, she him with a Payback attack and flung him away. "Maw-WILE!" Her jaws alight with Thunder Fang, Diva grabbed the winded Pokemon up and gave him a good squeeze. Then, she chucked her foe across the battlefield, slamming him into Waterlily.

"Perfect," Kin grinned evilly.

"No way," Naruto said, hoping Jet would get back up. Neither he or Waterlily stirred, however. "But Jet got a Slash attack right on her face! Why didn't it do anything?"

"Mawile are Steel-type, Blondie," Kin explained smugly. "So your Buizel's Slash attack was just an annoyance to her."

"Oh yeah, well we're not through yet," Naruto retorted, calling Jet back to his ball; Sakura did the same with Waterlily, whispering her apologies. "Okay Kata, let's do this-"

"My turn!" Sasuke suddenly appeared again, tossing a Pokéball. Togashi materialized, no longer Confused.

"That little salamander again?" Kin asked. "Decibel, hold him with Confusion, and Diva will take him out with Thunder Fang!"

"Echo!" Decibel's eye lit up and her psychic energy started to outline Togashi's body.

"Move quick!" Sasuke shouted, "Don't let her get hold of you!"

Togashi, however, didn't move away; in fact, he didn't move at all. He just let the attack take effect, doing nothing aside from glaring slightly at his opponents as Diva closed in, jaws open and sparking with electricity. "MAW-!"

Then, all of a sudden, the Charmander breathed in deep. "Char!" From his mouth a steam of flames burst out, blasting right into Diva's open jaws.

"-wile?!" The fire attack engulfed the Steel-type and floored her. In an instant, she was out.

"Char-mander!" Togashi huffed, striking a pose and looking rather pleased with himself.

"What just happened?" Kin gasped, looking down at her poor Pokémon.

"That was Flamethrower," Sasuke grinned. "Nice work, Togashi!"

"Char-char!" Togashi cheered, smiling big.

"Oh you haven't seen anything yet," Dosu whispered, patting a Pokéball on his belt. "I've got a Pokémon your whole team couldn't beat."

Meanwhile, Kin recalled Diva and looked at Decibel. "Use Uproar and aim it at the ceiling above them!" she ordered vengefully.

"Chiiiiime-" Decibel began, breathing in deeply.

"Quick, Togashi, use Flamethrower again!" Sasuke shouted, "Do it before she can attack!" However, he wasn't the only trainer trying to stop Decibel.

"_**NOOO!**_" Dosu cried, jumping on the Chimecho and clamping a hand over her mouth.

"Chaaarr!" A steam of red-hot flames burst from Togashi's mouth, aimed right at Decibel...only, the instant before it hit, she had turned around, exposing Dosu's back to the attack.

"AHHHH!" Dosu let go of Kin's Pokémon and fell to the ground, rolling around as he tried to put of the flames.

"Stop-drop-and-roll!" Kin screamed, too panicked to realize this is exactly what he already did.

"We have to do something!" Hinata shrieked, pulling out Rhapsody's Pokéball and calling him out. "Use Water Gun!"

However, before Rhapsody could even take in what was happening (and even think about doing what Hianta wanted him to do), Decibel got an idea. "Chimecho!" she called, glowing light blue; the same glow cast itself over Dosu and Kin as well. "Echo!" In an instant, they flashed, and blinked out of sight.

"...Toto?" Rhapsody asked, not sure what to do now.

"Wh-What just happened?" Hinata asked, looking around. "Where did they go?"

"I think that was Teleport," Sakura said, "but, why would she use that attack?"

"Maybe she 'ported them to a hospital?" Sasuke suggested, shrugging. He looked down and patted Togashi's head. "Either way, they're gone now, and good riddance."

"That was a fellow human being on fire, Sasuke!" Hinata scolded, glaring. "He could have died!" At her feet, Rhapsody agreed, waving a finger at the boy angrily.

Togashi flinched at Hinata's words, looking down guiltily. Sasuke, however, seemed unmoved. "Those crooks were attacking us for the third time now, and the girl just ordered her Chimecho to try and bury us alive. Forgive me for not showing more concern for them," he spat sarcastically.

"Even so, it's not right to hope that guy's hurt," Sakura responded, "He could be covered in serious burns, or even disfigured!"

"Stop it, both of you," Sasuke growled, "You're upsetting Togashi!" He pointed at the poor Charmander, who was wringing his tail and looking horrified with himself.

"Oh Togashi, we didn't mean to upset you!" Sakura said quickly, falling to her knees. "We know you didn't set that man on fire on purpose!"

"Yeah, and I'm sure he's going to be fine," Naruto added, smiling. "I've been hit by my Mom's Nintale's Fire Spine plenty of times, and I'm still alive. Really, you didn't do anything wrong. Not to mention," he added, looking over at Sakura, "I'm with Sasuke on this one; those two were playing for keeps."

"S-so you think we should have let that boy burn?" Hinata asked, horrified.

"Hey, I didn't say that," Naruto responded, "But we can't hold back if they try anything again. They're tough battlers, and we haven't been able to beat them in a fair-fight yet; so far, outside influences have saved us. Next time we face them, I say we pull out the stops. That doesn't mean set them on fire or throw them over a cliff," he added, looking at Hinata, "But, we gotta remember their the bad guys; its not like they're normal trainers asking for a friendly battle."

"Okay, I can't argue with that," Sakura said.

Sasuke smirked and nodded, while Hinata stayed silent.

0o0o0

_**Outside the cave system...**_

0o0o0

"AHH!"

Dosu thrashed wildly, fear and pain overcoming all senses. Then, he realized that he was no longer in the cave, but instead somewhere cold, wet, and soft. Best of all, he was no longer on fire. "Wh-what?!" The boy tried to get to his feet, but soon fell back down, pain from his burns shooting through him. As he fell back into the cold wet stuff, he felt the pain numb away, even if only slightly, and resigned himself to stay put. It didn't matter how cold he was, and least it helped dull the pain he was in.

"Dosu, are you okay?" Kin called from somewhere. Dosu felt her trying to lift him up. "Come on, you can't stay there, you'll get frostbite!"

Hearing that helped bring the boy to his senses, and he slowly, carefully, got to his knees. He was in snow! "Decibel Teleported us here?" he asked, breathing slowly.

"Chime-cho!" the Chimecho called, nodding with pride at her quick thinking.

"...thanks," Dosu said, trying not to move too much. If he kept still, he hurt less.

"Why did you stop Decibel's attack?" Kin demanded angrily. "If you hadn't done that, those twerps would have been buried under a ton of rock!"

"And the eggs with them," Dosu growled, than added, "And do you really, really think the ceiling would have only caved in on them? You would have buried us too!"

"I- uh..." Kin began. "Oooh, shoot you're right."

"Yeah," Dosu sighed bitterly. He paused for a minute, then decided to just change the subject instead of lecture her.

"How bad does my back look?"

Kin looked at his exposed back for a few minutes. "Well, the good news is, I don't think you'll need skin surgery," she suggested nervously.

"Wonderful," he sighed. Carefully, he stood up. "Oh- ouch, oooh! Come on, we can't stay out in snow (good as it feels right now). Let's find Zaku and then see about treating my burns. Think we can tend to them safely?"

"Uh, maybe," the girl said nervously, trying to help Dosu steady himself. "But I really think it would be better to see a doctor."

"No way," the boy growled, stepping forward. "The last thing we need is someone asking us a lot of questions and-"

His foot slipped, and Dosu fell painfully to the ground, landing on his burnt-back

"F^&%*#!" he screamed, unable to think of anything else. "FINE! Find Zaku and get me to a hospital! I want morphine!"

0o0o0

_**Back in the Cave...**_

0o0o0

"There you go, Windy, that should do it," Sakura said, stroking the Altaria gently. The Pokemon's wing was in a splint, but she was otherwise okay. The pink-haired girl looked at Sasuke. "You did a good job keeping her calm Sasuke."

"Yeah, whatever," he grunted, turning away. "It was nothing; real easy. Come on, let's get out of here." Sasuke looked at Togashi, nodding. "Light up your tail, bud; Altaria don't like it cold."

"Char," the Charmander cried, concentrating. His tail-flame lit up and blazed brightly, proving as much warms as he could.

"Good, now let's," Sasuke started to say. However, he was cut off by a wave of cottony fluffy envelop him from behind. "What-!?"

"Aaaallttta," a soft, musical voice hummed. Windy had wrapped her good wing around Sasuke, humming gently.

"What's going on?" Sasuke demanded, trying to struggle away, "let me go!"

"Ah, look at that, she likes you!" Sakura cooed, smiling.

"Hey, why she doing that?" Naruto asked as Windy kept on humming; he pulled his Pokédex out.

"When Altaria befriend a person, they will gently envelop their companion with their soft wings and hum a soothing song in order to make them feel safe and secure," the 'dex explained.

"Well, isn't that cute?" Sakura teased. "Sasuke finally made a friend!"

"Ah, go suck a lemon," Sasuke grunted, blushing as the Altaria hugged onto him tighter and hummed louder. "Come on, let's return her to her owner and get on to Winterborn!

"Sure, sure," Naruto said, reaching into his pocket and pulling out his Pokénav. "But, first things first, I'm getting a picture of this!"


	18. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer**

Let me just start out with the standard Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, Pokémon, or any of the associated or mentioned franchises/companies, and I am not making a profit on this.

The image I am using was made by BlissfulGold on , and I am using it with their permission. Please check out their DeviantART page sometime. 

-0-0-0-0-

**Author's Note**

Whoa, has it been a long time or what? I count 9 months. Almost a year. Now, for those of you wondering if this was a dead fic...simply put, yes, it basically was. I mean, I was _**planning**_ on continuing it _**eventually**_, but life was going on its ups and downs, as usual. I finally got a nice job that paid great, working as a busser at a very nice new restaurant in the rich side of town (I got over 100 in tips alone some days)...but, eventually, because they were overstaffed, they had to left a few people go, and that few included me. So yeah, it was nice while it lasted. Also, my beloved cat Rufus passed away. I've had him since I was 8-9, about, and he was my buddy. Slept with me, liked to hang out with me when I was home, would even talk to me if I asked him stuff (mostly just 'meows,' but it's the thought that counts, right?). Sigh, but he was getting on in years, and was also pretty fat; in truth, he was huge...both in weight and size (his vet said Rufus was the bigger than most of the dogs he looked at). Not to mention, the Vet said he likely had cancer in his kidney. So, in the end, it was his time. Rest in peace, Rufee-boy.

Anyway, the new X-and-Y Pokémon are out...or rather, _**have**_ been out for quite a while now, in fact. And, to answer a few questions at once, yes, I do plan on eventually including them. Like many of you, I was very hesitant about many of the changes the new generation was bringing, not the lease of which the new Fairy-type. But, deciding to test my own hesitate feelings on the subject, I purchased Pokémon Y and have been playing it through, recently. And, I found that I liked it overall; the Fairy-type is very nice, and fits into the equation perfectly. As for Mega-Evolutions...I am going to mull over whether or not I should include them in my fic. Using them in a game is one thing, but I'm not so sure how to play them out or use them in a fanfic; there are a number of complications that I'll have to look over before coming to a final decision. If any of you have suggestions as to how I should approach the subject, please let me know.

After re-reading my first few chapters, I realized 2 things:

1. I hate them.

2. I need to re-do a few things.

I will be re-writing my first chapter, not only because it's overall poorly written and overly dramatic, but I also plan on changing a few things to make the story work better. For example, I plan on the Amegakure region to be the homeland of the Gen VI Pokémon, and to have a richer history that will be more plot relevant later on. Also, Yahiko and Konan will have more defined roles and characteristics; as an early spoiler, I'll tell you outright that Konan will be Amegakure's resident Fairy specialist. Anyway, hopefully I'll that re-write up soon. I also plan to do some minor work to Sakura's intro chapter, adding her parents into the fold and probably removing Tsunade's Water specialization. I can't even remember why I made her a Water trainer in the first place.

**Review Response**

sapphirewitch565: Thank you for your review...does 9 months of nothing count as updating soon? Hahaha

Phr33k: Hello, hello. Thank you very much for all your reviews. An author's note about why I picked any Pokémon that are caught or other choices I make that I feel deserve explaining does sound very interesting. I think I'll do that. Ralts for Hinata seems a popular suggestion, and not a bad one.

blue-hart: Okay, one...passionate plea for Naruto getting Vulpix. Also, please proof-read and edit your reviews in the future. I don't mind the occasional spelling or grammatical error (I am fully aware I do them myself quite-a-lot), but when it is hard for me to read and understand something, I am less likely to take is seriously. Thank you for your review nonetheless.

liekanime: Someone else who wanted an update soon...and was sadly disappointed. Sorry, I really need to work on my time management.

Emmerlaus: Your review is appreciated, as are your suggestions, as always. Thank you very much.

SonOfObito: Glad to hear that I inspired another writter (now, if only I could inspire myself, hahaha). I like your suggestions; Sasuke will likely get a Taillow. Also, I am strongly playing with the idea of Sakura getting a Chikorita; it can be both a healer and a bruiser, like her. Thank you a lot for your suggestions. Gaara isn't set to show up for a while, but when he does, it will be awesome.

Amaterasuice: I always love your reviews, and appreciate your impute. However, as I have stated beforehand, I have every intention of adding the Gen 6 Pokémon to the mix; but, unlike the other Generations' Pokémon, I plan for them to be seen almost only in their native region, namely Amegakure.

ultron-6: Thanks a lot for your review. Okay, a female Cubone, eh? I will file that in the suggestion box.

-0o0o0-

_**The Hero's Pokemon thus far:**_

Sasuke Uchiha's

1. Bayushi, a male Eevee with a rare snowy white coat.

2. Togashi, a male Chamander

3. Akodo, a male Shinx

Naruto Uzamaki's

1. Kata, a male Riolu

2. Puck, a male Furret

3. Jet, a male Buizel

Sakura Haruno's

1. Waterlily, a female Azurill

2. Jane, a female Mankey

3. Owlowiscious, a male Hoothoot

Hinata Hyuga's

1. Rhapsody, a male Totodile

2. Waltz, a male Butterfree

3. Aria, a female Buneary

-0o0o0-

Pokémon Konoha

Chapter 15

"I can't believe I didn't think of how the cold would affect our eggs," Sakura said, carefully opening the yellow egg case.

The team was in the First Snow Town's Pokécenter Trainer's Mart, looking for some warmer clothing. After their confrontation with the Sound Trio (or duo, as the case was this time), their Pokémon were in no condition to travel, so the team decided to stay the night at the center before continuing on to Winterborn City.

As Sakura gently lifted the yellow egg out of its case and placed it on the counter, she looked over at Naruto and smiled. "It was really clever of you to think about this, Naruto; really, thanks."

"Ah, don't mention it," he said, blushing slightly, "I've helped my mom with lots of eggs before; this sort of thing is second nature to me." Naruto wrapped the egg up in a yellow scarf and patted it lovingly. "There you go, kid, all bundled up warm and nice-like."

Nodding, Sakura pulled out her Pokénav and scanned the egg. "Hmm, all signs show it to be healthy and developing well."

"I wonder when junior's gonna hatch?" the boy asked eagerly as he placed the egg back in its case.

"Probably soon," Sakura murmured, picking up the second case and starting to open it. "Considering how long Iruka had them for, and how long we've owned them, we can guess they're age at- Oh!" The girl stopped and gasped with delight; the egg she had started to handle, the lavender one, had just wiggled a little. "Did you see that?" she asked quickly, flashing a smile at her companion, "It moved!"

"I saw, I saw!" Naruto grinned, scooting over to have a closer look. "Do you think it's hatching?"

"Maybe!" Sakura laughed. Quickly, she looked up and tried to find their friends. Spotting the two, she called out to them. "Hey, guess what? The egg's hatching!"

"Oh my," Hinata gasped, eyes widening. She quickly picked up the merchandise she was looking at and came over. Behind her, Sasuke followed silently with arms full of items as well, but nonetheless excited. The two of them had been given the task of finding appropriate snow clothes for the team while Naruto and Sakura worked on fixing up the eggs; a task not too difficult, seeing as it was what this Trainer's Mart specialized in.

Now the whole team gathered around the table, looking at the lavender egg as it rested innocently.

"Oh, I'm so excited," Sakura giggled, looking at it with delight, "I feel like a kid at a New Years Festival."

"You are a kid, and it's so cold it could pass for New Years day," Naruto retorted, eyes glued on the egg. He paused, and then added, "I wonder if it could be a new Pokémon?"

"Not likely," Sasuke grunted, "Even with all the incredible events and phenomena that seem to follow us around considered, I don't think we'd get something like that."

"G-Getting to hatch and raise two Pokémon is wonderful enough," Hinata suggested shyly. "I hope its something nice, though."

After about 2 minutes passed, the group was still looking at the egg, which hadn't moved so much as half-an-inch.

"Perhaps I'm just overly pessimistic, but something tells me that baby is quite comfortable where it is, inside its egg," Sasuke said dryly.

"B-But it wiggled!" Naruto protested, gently poking the egg, as if to wake it up. "Come on, we're all ready and waiting."

"Maybe we're jumping ahead of ourselves," Sakura sighed, letting out the breath she had been holding in. "I guess the egg's not quite ready. Tsunade did tell me sometimes the eggs can start to wiggle once in a while as much as a week before hatching. It's only when they really start to dance that it's hatching time."

Naruto moaned, but Hinata carefully rubbed the lavender egg's top. "It's okay; hatch when you're good and ready."

"Which will be pretty soon in any case," Sasuke pointed out. "At least that much is certain."

Naruto smiled at the thought.

"Now," Sasuke continued, holding up a heavy, soft blue windbreaker he had found, "I think this should fit you, Naruto."

"They've got nothing in yellow or orange?" the boy asked, taking the jacket and holding it up to himself to check its size.

"They do have a few in yellow," Sasuke said with a slight grin, "But only in the girls' jackets, thankfully."

"Darn. Well, I like this just fine," Naruto shrugged. In fact, this jacket's particular shade of blue happened to match one of his favorite characters from the show he and the girls liked so much (not that Sasuke would know that).

"Here's one Hinata thought would look nice on you," Sasuke added, tossing a cheery, cherry-pink and spring-green jacket to Sakura, who looked over at Hinata and nodded approvingly. He held up a black and dark blue one. "This one's for me, and Hinata picked out that lavender one." Sasuke pointed at Hinata's stack of clothing.

"That color's nice," Naruto said fairly, meaning it as a genuine compliment.

As Hinata blushed, Sasuke continued on, making sure they had acquired all the stuff they'd need to brave the cold of Winterborn City.

0o0o0

_**A little Later on, at the Cable Car Station…**_

0o0o0

"Right on time," Sasuke noted pleasantly as they stepped into the cable car. It was a like a wide metal frame with big glass windows and padded seats that were very comfy, sealed off from the bitter cold outside. The car was suspended in the air, hanging from a cable system that went up into the mountains. A conductor sat at the front of the box, working the control panel, while a young man at the doors took their tickets and helped them on.

"Welcome aboard," he said with a smile, tipping his hat. He looked at the four trainers with a grin. "Am I correct in assuming you're headed to Winterborn to challenge our new gym leader?"

"Oh, they're new?" Naruto asked as they sat down. "I didn't know that."

"Ha-ha, we're getting lots of trainers now that the gym's reopened," the conductor said from upfront. "It's a good thing they're building a tunnel through the mountains; pretty soon we'd have to get a second car for all the passengers we have." He looked over at his assistant. "Anyway, make yourselves comfortable; we have to wait a few minutes before we can take off, incase there's any stragglers."

"Thank you," Sakura said, nodding. She looked down at Waterlily, scratching her Pokémon behind the ear affectionately. Her baby had taken being called back into her Pokéball very well, not showing the slightest amount of anger later. Sakura glanced over at Sasuke, who was reading a book called Death of a Doxy, by Rex Sout, with Bayushi looking over his shoulder. Briefly, she wondered where he had acquired his book, but dismissed it, guessing from the worn look of the cover that he had it in his backpack and only just started reading it. Sakura looked over at Naruto, who was gleefully looking out the window at the mountains, eagerly waiting for the car to be lifted into the air. Hinata was also looking out the window, but seemed less excited and more nervous. Sakura was about to ask her why when someone burst into the cable car's doorway.

"We made it!" the person, a boy with wild hair and a heavy hooded jacket, cried, panting so hard he was doubled over. "We didn't miss it this time!"

"Uh, good job, sir?" the doorman said nervously. He then added, "Also, may I have your ticket plea-?" He was cut off by the boy shoving it into his hands without looking.

"Here ya' go," the boy gasped, taking a seat opposite of Hinata. Without looking up, he patted the seat next to him and said, "Come on up here, boy."

With a happy bark, Akamaru the Growlithe jumped up next to his trainer. This seemed to make something click for of the rest of the passengers, who had watched the event with wide eyes.

"K-Kiba?" Hinata said in bewilderment.

Kiba looked up quickly. "Oh, hi, Hinata." He smiled and looked back down at Akamaru, who was staring at the other passengers of the car. A second or so later, the boy jumped up, gasping. "Ah-HA!" he near shouted, standing a-top his seat and pointing at the group accusingly. "We meet again!"

"Sir, please sit down," the conductor said firmly. "And please refrain from any roughhousing or shouting in the car." After Kiba sat down with an embarrassed look on his face, the conductor nodded and started the car. They were off!

Silence followed for a few minutes afterwards. Then Hinata spoke up. "Uh, n-nice to see you again, Kiba?" she suggested slowly.

"You abandoned me!" the boy said suddenly, once again pointing at the four accusingly. "You guys left me behind and went onto Teal Town by yourselves!"

"Growl!" Akamaru barked, agreeing.

"We didn't mean to," Hinata squeaked honestly. "We were just in a hurry and didn't have time to run back and get you."

"Yeah, not to mention it was sort of your own fault you slept in," Sakura added.

"And who said we wanted you to join the team along anyway?" Sasuke whispered, going back to his book. Bayushi snickered on his shoulder.

"Ah, I couldn't stay mad at you," Kiba shrugged, directing his words at Hinata more than anyone else. Then he smiled proudly. "Anyway, I'll have you know that being abandoned by you guys didn't put a stop on my career as a trainer; have a look at this!" Proudly, he pulled his jacked open, revealing the Antidote badge pinned inside. "I beat Prof. Iruka and won my first badge!"

"Oh, how wonderful," Hinata replied, smiling.

Sakura, however, laughed a little. "Cool; we did too." She rummaged into her backpack and pulled out her badge case, showing its contents to the boy; her badge was shiny and recently polished. Besides her, Naruto fiddled with his heavy outer jacket, wanting to show off his as well, but after a while he gave up.

Kiba nodded approvingly. "I guess you would have beaten the Teal Town Gym, seeing as you've already left the place. I had to take him twice before I got my badge; how'd it go for you?"

"Hinata and I got ours on our first try," Sakura said proudly. "As for Naruto and Sasuke…well, that's another story. And a long one too."

Before Kiba could ask for an explanation, Naruto jumped in. "If you beat Iruka, that means you got Chance to listen to you and cooperate?"

Kiba smiled cockily. "Yes I did! Not only that, but I got another Pokémon on my team! He's a…" The boy trailed off, noticing at the egg cases Sakura and Sasuke had been carrying. "Uh…where did you get those?" he asked, pointing.

"That's right, you don't know about Sakura's little darlings, do you?" Naruto laughed. A lot had happened in the short time since they'd last seen Kiba. "You wanna tell the story, Sakura?"

0o0o0

_**Meanwhile, elsewhere...**_

0o0o0

"Oooh," Dosu sighed, slipping deeper into the steamy water, "That's the ticket." He and Zaku were both basking inside a small pool filled with natural hot spring waters, pumped in deep from the Snorunt Breeze Mountains. They were in a large, bathhouse-like room that was littered with similar springs and other medical/relaxation equipment.

"I told you, Mr. Kinuta, this resort's hot springs are known for their rejuvenating properties" said a short man in business suit who was standing not too far away. Everything, from his thin mustache, his high widow's peek, and his dark round glasses, gave off the air of a James Bond-style villain. "With the help of these springs and my staff's medical experience, you'll be good as new in no time at all."

"Good," Dosu sighed, sinking in deeper; oh, he could barely feel the burns on his back now. "The Boss's 'prize' will be arriving anytime now, and we've got to be ready to collect it, Mayor Gato."

Gato, mayor of Winterborn City, gave a cunning smile. "Speaking of which, I have a problem of my own; normally I'd take of it myself, but it seems there's been a complication of sorts."

The two boys looked at each other for a moment before turning back to Mayor Gato. "Go on..."

0o0o0

**Back in the cable car...**

0o0o0

"And that's how Sakura added Owlowiscious to the family," Naruto finished. He and Sakura took turns explaining how their journey had been so far to Kiba, with Hinata occasionally adding her own comment. "So, whatta ya' think, Kiba? Pretty cool so far, huh?"

"I'll say," the boy nodded, patting his beloved Growlithe. "The most exciting thing we had happen to us is when we accidently set this traveling-vegetable-salesman's cart on fire; man, that guy was high-strung, he actually ordered his Tauros to trample my skull in..._hey, I said it was an accident!" _he added hotly when he noticed the others staring at him.

Before anyone could ask for details, the conductor spoke up from the front of the car. "We're almost there kids!"

Excited as they could be, Naruto and the others peered outside the window; the cable car was above a valley in the mountains, slowly coming closer to the ground below. Everything in sight was covered in snow, a blanket of white over the whole world.  
>"Whoa boy, does that look cold!" Naruto said, shivering involuntarily. "I hope we bought enough snow-gear."<p>

"I hope we don't have to walk threw that," Sakura added, pointing at the snow-covered road; it was an easy foot deep.

"Oh, you don't have to fret about that, little miss," the conductor replied. "We'll be taking you to Winterborn Pokécenter in our bus. The service is complimentary with the cable-car ride."

The cable car docked, and the doors opened with a blast of cold and wind. The young doorman was out first with a push broom, quickly sweeping the snow on the path and opening the door to a small bus. When he was done the doorman waved for the others to get in.

"Careful now, don't run, the ice is very slippery," the conductor warned as the kids zipped out of the frosty cable car and headed for the warm bus. He followed behind, and once everyone was in, started up the bus, turned up the heater, and started to pull out into the snow-covered road.

"Oh, that feel so good," Sakura sighed, holding her hands over a heating vent. She looked over at her companions. Sasuke sat across from her, enduring the cold stoically, while Kiba sat down nearby and had Akamaru hop up between Hinata and Sakura, warming them both with his inner fire. Naruto, however, shivered terribly.

"I hate this cold," he growled, wrapping his arms around himself. "How can you stand it, Sasuke?"

His friend shrugged. "It's just the way I am," Sasuke responded. "If it bothers you that much, you can have the seat next to the heater."

As the blond quickly moved over, the conductor (now more aptly called the driver) made sure everyone was seated and aware of all the safety rules and regulations before starting the bus and heading off.

The ride was short, perhaps taking half a mile before arriving at Winterborn. The city's name truly fit; most of the buildings were all white and looked to be crafted from glass and snow. Along the streets, sculptures of ice dotted the major crossroads.

"Okay, we're here," the driver called as he turned into the Winterborn Pokécenter, a white hexagonal building designed to resemble a snowflake. As the kids unloaded from the bus, Naruto spotted a large ice sculpture in front of the center's entryway, looking very elegant. It depicted a Lapras busting out from a pond, the frozen water captured in the moment perfectly.

"Whoa, is this place classy or what?" the boy whistled. "I don't think I've stayed in hotels with this kind of decoration."

"Ah, I see you've noticed Haku's work," the driver's assistant said with a smile, helping Hinata out of the bus. "Ice sculpting is one of Gym Leader Haku's many hobbies; she and her partner made a bunch of statues when they first set up the gym and gave them to the townsfolk. In this icy weather, they can last until next spring, especially if we upkeep them. Boy, do they make the town look pretty."

"The Gym Leader sounds very generous," Sakura observed, taking a moment to admire the fine detail put into the Lapras. "She must be very popular with everyone."

"You bet, and that's not half of it," the young man went on excitedly, "when she came to town, she not only set up her gym, but also made into a theater, and then a and Contest Hall. We're gonna be holding our special contest with famous people; you should check it out!"

From the bus, the driver honked his horn, saying something about needing to get back to work. The young man tipped his hat and jumped back the bus.

"That's right, you did mention something about a contest earlier," Naruto said to Sakura as they entered the center, only to find a group of young trainers crowding around something on the wall. "Whoa, what's going on?"

Kiba craned his neck to try and get a better view. "Uh, I think they're all looking at that poster over there." He read off the large section of words at the top. "'_Get ready for the very first official Winterborn Coordination Contest; Rules and Regulations._'"

"I guess a lot of people must be here for that," Sakura mused.

Hinata eyed the crowd. "Looks like you've got a lot of competition."

"You mean _**we**_'ve got a lot of competition," Sakura corrected, patting her on the back. "You're joining too, remember?"

"Oh, I don't know," Hinata half-whispered, looking at her feet, "I mean, I'm not sure I'd like being on stage, with all those people watching. B-besides, who's to say I'd be any good at it, anyway?"

"Well, I say you would," Naruto said, reassuringly clapping her on the back. "Come on, don't be like that; Pokémon Coordination is really fun. I'm sure you'd enjoy it!"

"Yeah Hinata, you told me you loved watching Coordination when you were younger, after all," Sakura added in. "Besides, if I'm entering, you should at least try it out."

"Well, maybe," Hinata muttered slowly, looking in the direction of the poster again. "I'll think about it, okay?"

"We should see about getting some rooms here," Sasuke said, moving toward the front desk, where a line of people were already waiting. "Then we can ask some questions about the gym."

"Let's hope they're not full already," Sakura pointed out, following behind him. "With so many people here, they just might be." Silently, she began counting the number of people in the center's entrance hall and trying to figure out if there'd be room for them. Much to her surprise, however, Sakura spotted a familiar face walking out from the rooms section; it was Ino Yamanaka! The blond girl was dressed up in a fashionable purple winter outfit, and in her arms, she carried a cute little orange and black pig-like Pokémon.

"Come on, Taran," Ino said, "we're going to go see Leader Haku and-" She stopped, spotting Sakura in line. "Well, fancy that! You decided to show up after all, Sakura."

"Ino!" the pink-haired girl gasped.

"And here I was thinking you wouldn't even show up for the contest," Ino went on, smiling, "well, at least you have guts; I'll give you that."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Sakura demanded angrily.

Ino, however, seemed to scarcely notice, having turned her attention to other things. "Hi there, Sasuke." She smiled, flicking her hair back. "I was hoping to see you again."

"Huh," Sasuke grunted, looking away.

"So you got a new Pokémon?" Naruto asked, pointing at the black and orange piglet. "I don't think I've seen it before," he added, taking out his Pokédex.

It flashed on and explained. "Tepig, the Fire Pig Pokémon. Tepig can blow fire from its snout, but when it is ill, it releases black smoke instead. Tepig uses the flames from its snout to roast berries, its favorite food; however, if it is too excited, Tepig releases flames that are too hot and it burns the berries to a crisp. Tepig is one of the Traditional Starter Pokémon of the Tetsu region."

"He sounds awfully cute," Hinata said, carefully reaching out and petting the Tepig's snout; he gave an oink of approval and beamed happily.

"How'd you manage to catch him?" Naruto asked. Even Sasuke looked interested in hearing the answer to that.

"I found poor Taran by chance," Ino explained, secretly pleased with the attention her Tepig was getting her. "After I got off the bus in Fresh Snow Town, I had a short look around at the local sights, and while I was exploring the nearby caves, I found a poor, hungry Tepig, lost in the caverns. He must have wondered in during a snowstorm and got lost in the deeper parts. So, I shared some of my food with him, and then, he wanted to stay with me forever." She smiled, nuzzling her Tepig lovely. "Isn't that right, Taran?"

"Tepig, Tepig!" he squeaked, smiling happily.

"Such as nice story," Hinata said. Sakura nodded in spite of her personal feelings toward Ino.

"Thank you." Ino looked at Sakura. "Anyway, Billboard Brow, have you heard the news? Gym Leader Haku's holding a free class today, showcasing some of the basics and more important points of Pokémon Coordination."

"Really?" Sakura asked; she knew it be good to learn some more about Pokémon Coordination.

"Sounds good, when does it start?" Naruto asked.

"About half an hour," Ino replied. "From what I hear, there's going to even be a TV crew there."

Surprisingly, Naruto looked shocked, and maybe a little angry, at hearing this. "What? Why'd they do something like that?"

"This Contest is going to have some famous people judging it, for one thing," Ino explained, giving Naruto a sideways look. "What's the matter, anyway? Who doesn't wanna be seen on TV?"

"I don't, for starters," Naruto responded. He sputtered, face twisting angrily. "If you guys want to be exploited by hack-newshounds, be my guests, but count me out of it!" The boy turned away, looking indignant.

"Okay, okay, calm down," Sakura said, holding up her hands defensively. "Seriously, what gives?"

Sasuke leaned over to her and explained. "Naruto's Dad does everything he can to keep out of the media spotlight. It rubbed off on him."

"Why?" Sakura asked. "Is he famous or something?"

Sasuke paused, then shrugged. "You could say he likes his privacy."

"Well, regardless of all that, I'm going to the class anyway," Ino said, turning back to the girls. "Feel like joining me?"

"Sure, it sounds pretty informative," Sakura responded. She looked to Hinata. "You're coming too, right?"

"Well," the girl sighed, looking from Naruto to Sakura. She paused, thinking for a few moments. "I don't really want to be seen on TV either...but, a Coordination Class does sound very nice." She nodded. "Yes, I'll come."

"How about you, Sasuke?" Ino added, batting her eyelashes.

The dark boy snorted. "Do I look like someone interested in Pokémon Coordination?" he asked her sarcastically.

"Suit yourself," Sakura said, "I guess you guys can stay in line and get our rooms for us, then."

As the girls went off together, Kiba, whom everyone had ignored, stomped his foot and growled, "That's okay, I didn't want to come anyway, but thanks for asking and not just **forgetting about me like LAST time**!"

"If you wanted to tag along, you should have said so," Naruto suggested, snickering.

"Ah, bite me," Kiba grumbled, shoving his hands in his pockets.

0o0o0

"Impeach Gato! Impeach Gato! Impeach Gato!" The crowd outside of the Snowrunt Mountain Resorts chanted in protest, holding up signs and shouting angrily. Their numbers were small, maybe a dozen, but the message was clear all the same. Mayor Gato glowered, glaring down at them from high up in his personal courters while the security kept the riffraff at the gate.

"Just grateful citizens showing their love for your political approach?" Dozu asked sarcastically, a smile visible in his eyes. He and his team stood in Gato's office, watching the excitement down below.

"Just a bunch of idiotic teen activists," Gato growled, shutting the blinds. "They're annoying but harmless."

"They're pretty outspoken," Kin pointed out.

"It's that blasted new Gym Leader's fault!" Gato shouted, slamming a fist on his desk. "Before he showed up, the dregs of this city knew better than to speak out against me; Winterborn was my little pond, and anyone who said otherwise got it good. Since Haku came to town, all that's changed. A Gym Leader makes people feel safe and respectable, and he's going around doing everything he can to fix the community up and bring them together. Worse yet, he's using his status with the Pokémon League to move around my authority, and everyone can see it. Haku's not afraid of me, and so other people are starting to stand up as well. Not to mention all the problems he's causing for my less than savory operations," he added bitterly.

Kin shrugged. "Sounds like you've got a problem. What's that got to do with us?"

Gato straightened his tie and glasses, composing himself before continuing. "I need to send a message to the people of this town about who's still in charge."

The Trio looked at each other. Then Dosu spoke for them all. "And why should we help you? You got some dirty business, do it yourself. We got our own to take care of. If you don't like it, you can tell Boss Orochimaru."

"Normally, I'd handle the situation on my own," Gato explained patiently. "Haku isn't the first Gym Leader who caused me problems." Behind his glasses, Gato's eyes darkened, and he chuckled cruelly. "But, things are different this time. Haku's too strong to try and bully, and I can tell he can't be bribed. Whenever I've talked to him, trying to feel out what makes him tick, I can't help but think the little diva's out to get me." Gato shuttered. "He's also he's clever enough to guard his bases, to boot. His constant ice-sculptor donations and community drives have made the people of this town loyal to him; they'll go out of their way to protect him. And his gym's a virtual fortress! He's got cameras and top of the line security; believe me, I've tried having the place burned down twice. Now that he's turned the place into a dual-purpose Gym and Contest Hall, he's got news reporters and camera crew all around the place now. No, this time, a blunt show of force won't do the trick. If I'm going to ruin him, I need to think outside the box. That's where you three come in."

"Yeah, we _**could**_ help you out," Dosu said, "but, the problem is, I don't see any reason _**why**_ we should. You owe the Boss, and helping us collect Haruno's eggs is just returning the favor. And don't try and pull any fast ones on us either!" The Sound Trio shifted, looking surprisingly dangerous. "We don't take kindly to tricks, buddy."

Mayor Gato chuckled. "Oh, I'm a business man, kiddies. I know the 'Golden Rule.'" He opened a drawer in his desk, reached in, and tossed it to Dosu; a nugget of gold, the size of a Pokéball. "'He who has the gold makes the rules,' am I right?"

Dosu was rendered speechless, the glittering nugget catching a surprising about of light as it lay in his open palms. On either side of him, his teammates' faces showed open wonder.

"So, my friends, do I have your attention now?" Gato asked smugly .

0o0o0

Ino, Sakura and Hinata stood together outside of Winterborn Gym. The glistening, pristine building looked something like a palace fit for a snow queen. Tall and graceful, it had shimmering walls seemingly made from ice or glass, and a high peaking steeple, topped with a highly stylized snowflake. A pretty white fence decorated with more snowflakes surrounded the building and its large yard. Outside the gym, there were several stands, on which were placed more of Haku's beautiful ice sculptures. The finest of these statues, an Articuno just starting to take off in flight, stood outside the grand gym's entrance.

"I just can't get over how pretty this place is," Ino sighed, walking through the entrance. "And this is just the outside; wait until you see the inside!"

"You've been here before?" Sakura asked, following behind her.

"Of course," Ino responded. "I've been here almost a week; more than enough time to have a look around. I thought it'd be a good idea to check out the stage and setting for the Contest. Not to mention, I even managed to challenge Haku to a gym battle."

At this, Sakura gasped in shock. "You what?!"

Ino flashed the girl a wicked grin. "You heard me. I challenged Haku to a battle...and, I won this!" She reached into a pocket and pulled out a shiny purple case, flipping it open. Inside, a stylized blue and white snowflake-shaped badge rested on the silk lining. "The Snowflake Badge," Ino explained proudly.

"But, I thought you were wanting to be a Pokémon Coordinator," Sakura said, starting at the shiny badge.

The blond girl nodded. "I do, but what's the harm in taking a few gym matches on the side? Unless," she added with a smirk, "that makes you feel threaded?"

"As if!" Sakura huffed, glaring. "Take on as many gyms as you like, I don't care."

The three girls pushed open the double doors of the gym and walked in.

The gym's lobby looked to be made of crystal, with the walls and front desk just as shimmering and ice-like as the outside. The floor was white carpet, and a sparkling chandler hanging from the ceiling. A sign on a small stand warned guests to keep their coats on, as the gym was normally cold for the comfort of the Ice Pokémon that called it home, and also to be careful not to slip on any frost.

The room was filled with several trainers, almost all had the look of Pokémon Coordinators; the buzz of conversation filled the air as they excitedly talked amongst themselves about the upcoming events.

"Whoa, that's a lot of people," Sakura said as they squeezed their way through the crowd and to the front desk. She turned to the receptionist, a middle-aged man dressed in furs. "Excuse me, we'd like to sign up for the Coordination Class today, please."

The man nodded, handing her a clipboard and pen. "Just sign here, lass."

"Oh, could you also pass us the sign-up sheet for the contest?" Ino asked, moving next to Sakura, "these two are last minute entries."

"Seems like you just made it in time," the man chuckled, passing over a second clip board. "There's only a few slots left."

"Oh thank you!" Sakura gasped, taking the second clipboard. She looked it over, and noticed that Ino's name was already written (in perfect handwriting with violet ink) in Spot #1. Sighing, the girl jotted down her name and trainer ID number, then handed it over to Hinata. "Here you go."

Hinata looked the papers over, reading them. "But, I'm still not sure I want to enter, Sakura."

"Oh come on," the pink-haired girl insisted. "What if you decided to want to enter tomorrow, but all the slots are taken up? Come oh, it'll be fun to compete together!"

Sighing, Hinata hesitantly picked up the pen and sighed the entry form.

"Thank you," the receptionist said, taking the clipboards back. There was a chiming sound, and the trainers in the lobby began to stir. "Ah, that means Leader Haku is ready to start the class now. Just follow the door to the left and follow the walkway."

"She's not having class in the main hall?" Ino asked.

"Haku is having a construction team fix up it up so its nice and ready for the upcoming contest," the receptionist explaind. "He really wants everything to be absolutely perfect and in place. Can't be too careful, after all. Also, I don't think Haku would take kindly to being called a girl, seeing that **he's** a **boy**."

Ino blushed and quickly followed the crowd heading for the class. When they were out of the receptionist's sight, she shook her head in confusion. "I was told Haku was a woman...by lots of people too!"

"That's what we were told, too," Sakura added, "could it have been a mistake?"

0o0o0

**Back at the Pokécenter...**

0o0o0

"Thank you very much, ma'am," Naruto told the nurse as she handed him the keys to their rooms.

As the three boys walked off to their rooms, the blond looked around at the Pokécenter. Where once is was crowded and nearly full, now it had only about a half-a-dozen people hanging around. "You know, this place is a whole lot less crowded now," Naruto said. "Where'd everyone go?"

"To the Coordination class, I guess," Sasuke suggested. "If not that, maybe the excitement's just died down and everyone's just doing their thing."

"Yeah, I guess so." Naruto walked over to the announcement board. "What was so interesting about this contest anyway?" He took one look at the poster, and was frozen in place. The boy's eyes widened in shock, and his was still as an ice sculpture.

However, Sasuke didn't get to notice; something else had caught his eye. "You've got to be kidding me!" he hissed, reading off a news-flyer that no one had noticed earlier. "_'Due to time constraints caused by the upcoming Winterborn Coordination Contest, and from the Gym's main hall set to be remolded, Gym Leader Haku will be taking no more badge related challenges until after the Contest is over. Anyone wishing to earn the Snowflake Badge must issue their challenge today before 2:00 PM, or postpone their challenges until later.'_ Oh come on, it's past 2 already!"

Behind Sasuke, Kiba growled and snapped his teeth. "That's not fair, we just got here!"

"Can you believe this, Naruto?" Sasuke demanded, turning to his friend. However, the boy in question wasn't even paying attention; he was too busy looking at another poster, it seemed. "Hello, Naruto?" Sasuke asked, tapping his shoulder, "Did you even hear what I said?"

The blond jumped back, gasping. "What?!" He blinked. "Uh, sorry, what is it?"

Sasuke pointed at the flyer and read it off again. "Can you believe it?" he asked again after finishing.

"Uh, that sucks," Naruto shrugged. "But, uh, can you believe _**this**_?" He pointed at the poster, finally causing Sasuke to pay it some attention. What he saw made his jaws drop.

It was Aunty Kushina and her Ninetails Kitsune, posing for the camera. According to the poster, Kushina Uzumaki would making a guest appearance as one of the judges for the contest.

"What's all the fuss about?" Kiba asked, pushing his way between the two, and looking at the poster. "She's pretty hot," he admitted fairly, "so, what's the big deal? She like your favorite actress or something?"

"She's my mother," Naruto said slowly, not looking away from the poster.

This made Kiba jump back. "You're bluffing; I don't believe it."

"Believe it, Honey!" a woman's voice from behind them shouted.

All three boys jumped up, whipping around in shock. Standing right there, with a big smile on her face, stood Naruto's mother, Kushina Uzumaki. "Hey, baby! Come here and give your Mother a hug!"


	19. Chapter 16, Part 1

**Disclaimer**

Let me just start out with the standard Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, Pokémon, or any of the associated or mentioned franchises/companies, and I am not making a profit on this.

The image I am using was made by BlissfulGold on , and I am using it with their permission. Please check out their DeviantART page sometime. 

-0-0-0-0-

**Author's Note**

HAPPY NEW YEAR, EVERYONE! I already know my New Year's Resolution: Try and post my fic more frequently, at least once a month. Sadly, we've lost another cat this week; Figaro, my brother's pet, companion, and best fried for 16 years. He's taking her passing very well, and we thank you for your sympathy.

_**IMPORTANT NOTE TO LONG-TIME READERS: RE-read Chapter 1! I posted a updated take on it, and the story's been changed slightly!**_

Other than that, I don't have much to say.

**Review Response**

Thanks everyone for your ideas and comments on what to do and what sort of teams characters should have. On a brighter note, it seems I'll be updating at least once a month; my betareader is helping me keep to that by refusing to play "League of Legends" (an Online game we normally play together) with me until I show him what I've written thus far. It's helped a little. But enough of that, here's my next chapter.

-0o0o0-

_**The Hero's Pokemon thus far:**_

Sasuke Uchiha's

1. Bayushi, a male Eevee with a rare snowy white coat.

2. Togashi, a male Charmander

3. Akodo, a male Shinx

Naruto Uzamaki's

1. Kata, a male Riolu

2. Puck, a male Furret

3. Jet, a male Buizel

Sakura Haruno's

1. Waterlily, a female Azurill

2. Jane, a female Mankey

3. Owlowiscious, a male Hoothoot

Hinata Hyuga's

1. Rhapsody, a male Totodile

2. Waltz, a male Butterfree

3. Aria, a female Buneary

-0o0o0-

Pokémon Konoha

Chapter 16

Part 1

"Oh, come here, you!" Kushina grabbed Naruto and pulled him into a crushing bear hug. "I've missed you so much, baby!" she cried, squeezing so tightly that Naruto was having trouble breathing. "How's your journey been? Where are the rest of your friends? Who's the boy with the Growlithe? Anew friend? I can't wait to see your team!"

"Mom, what-? Eh?!" Naruto tried to speak, but he found it hard to form words; partially from shock, and partially from asphyxiation. "Please Mom...can't breathe!"

"Oh, sorry!" Blushing, Kushina released her son and took a step back. "Sorry, I guess I got a little too carried away there, Honey," she said bashfully as Naruto took in a few deep breaths.

"Yeah, just a little," her son replied, eying her carefully, weary of being smothered by her again. "Mom, what-?"

However, he as cut off by Sasuke, who had moved over to them and was now getting a hug from Kushina as well. "Nice to see you, Aunty Kushina," he said, blushing as he pulled away.

"Hello Sasuke," Naruto's mother smiled, winking at the dark-haired boy, "You've been keeping an eye on my boy, right?"

"Eeyep!" Sasuke nodded, looking over at Naruto with a self-satisfied expression.

Once again, Naruto tried to ask his mother what she as doing here, and once again, he found himself cut off; this time, by Kiba.

"Hey there!" the wild boy said, holding out his hand and shaking Kushina;s. "You're Naruto's mom? Nice to me you, I'm his friend, Kiba Inuzuka," he pointed at his Growlithe, "and this is Akamaru."

"Growl," the dog barked.

"Well, aren't you friendly?" Kushina giggled, picking up Akamaru boldly and looking him over. "And what a handsome Growlithe you are! Luxurious, well-groomed fur, soft, clean paws, and a strong build." She scratched his ears affectionately before turning and handing him back to his owner. "You aught to be proud of yourself; its not everyday a boy has such a perfect specimen on his team."

"Gee, thanks," Kiba said, blushing and grinning ear to ear. "I bet you're a Breeder or Coodinator or something like that, right?"

"Something like that, Cutie," she said, ruffling his hair turning her attention back to her son. "So, what was it you were saying?"

"What are you doing here?!" Naruto demanded; he wasn't so much upset as he was frustrated at being cut off so many times and ignored.

"Hey, calm down! Do you want the whole Center to notice us? Oh, and don't you take that tone with me, mister!" his mother commanded, glaring. She looked around; while the Pokécenter was mostly empty, there were still a few people here and there. "Come on, I got a room were we can talk privately."

0o0o0

Ino, Sakura, and Hinata all sat together near the front of the room, which had been arranged with rows of chairs lined up one after the other. At the back, a TV crew was already set up, and at the front of the room a pretty woman in red that Hinata could only guess was a reporter or host of some sort was seated.

"I'm so excited!" Ino squealed, giving her Taran a loving squeeze.

"Pig-tep! the Tepig agreed.

Sakura scratched behind Waterlily's ear absentmindedly and checked the time; it was just about time for the class to get started. She looked over at Hinata, who looked a bit uncomfortable in her seat, twiddling with her fingers and fidgeting left and right. "Uh, is something bothering you, Hinata?" Sakura asked.

"Uh, well, not exactly," the other girl responded, looking down. "I-I'm just thinking about what Naruto said, about the TV Crew and all; I'm not sure I want to be on TV...not at all."

Sakura gave her friend and understanding smile. "Ah, I see. Don't worry about that; they're here to interview Gym Leader Haku, not the rest of us. And I think they have to ask permission before putting a minor's face on TV."

"...you're probably right," Hinata said slowly, fidgeting a little less. "Hmm, I wonder...why would Naruto feel that way about television anyway?"

"Sasuke said his father's the sort of person who avoid the spotlight," Sakura explain.

"I wonder why?"

Sakura paused, pondering; Naruto seemed to be fairly evasive on the subject of his parents; sure, he mentioned his dad's name when he first introduced himself and told wacky stories about his home life, but now Sakura realized she knew next to nothing about who his parents actually were. For all she knew, Naruto's father could be an international crime boss...nah, that was stupid...right?

Suddenly, the girl's brain went into overtime, racking itself of all her knowledge of everything she had learned about Naruto's dad:

1. _He got Prof. Iruka his job as a Gym Leader in Teal Town, so he was a man with friends in high places._

2. _Naruto mentioned his dad had "business trips" all over the country, and took them along on less serious ones; so the family probably was wealthy._

3. _Didn't he also mentioned he had family in Amegakure? Prof. Tsuande said a lot of smugglers and criminals came from that war-torn country once._

4. _And lastly, Naruto never did give straight answers about exactly what his father did for a living. In fact, Sasuke said he avoided the public's attention..._

Slowly gulping, Sakura realized that Naruto's dad very well **could** be a crime boss.

-oh for Heaven's sake, she was being silly about this! The girl shook her head and laughed; there was no way Naruto's family was involved with crime. Why, she'd sooner believe he was the son of the Konoha League Champion than _that_! The only reason Naruto hadn't mentioned what his father did for a living is because no one had ever to ask, that's all. In fact, she'd do just that next time she saw him, and put all this pointless worrying to rest.

Sakura and the rest of the audience quickly hushed as the lights dimmed, leaving only a single spotlight shining up-front on a small stage-area.

"Welcome to Winterborn City Gym and Coordination Hall," a voice said, coming from all around. Suddenly, a white mist started rising up from the floor, obscuring the view. A few people gasped, and a shuffle of movement started. "The Gym asks everyone to sit down and remain quiet; all effects are nothing more than Pokémon Techniques used in the style that would be expected during a Contest, as you will all learn soon enough. I assure you, you are all perfectly safe."

The few people rising up from their seats sat back down, and the mist started to swirl and gather at the stage, the spotlight still shining. There was a shattering sound, and the mist suddenly scattered, leaving behind a person surrounded by what looked to be shimmering blue confetti.

Sakura was embarrassed to say she couldn't tell if the person standing up on stage was a boy or a girl; he or she had long black hair and a pretty, androgynous face, and was dressed in a formal white uniform that brought to mind rulers from the far north, complete with a cute fuzzy hat Ino would kill to get her hands on (Sakura would too, truth be told). Even their smooth, soothing voice didn't tell much about his or her gender; it could work either way. In the end, Sakura decided to consider him a boy; after all, his outfit was fairly masculine in appearance (though it'd look cute on a girl or boy).

"Hello, one and all!" the 'boy' cheered, doing a flourish with his hand and giving a fancy bow that was so low his adorable hat fell off; he caught it and put it back on as he straightened up, all in one fluid movement. "I am Gym Leader Haku, and I welcome you to my city and my home! I know we are all excited about the upcoming Coordination Contest, which many of you will be participating in. This class is all about Pokémon Coordination and Contests, and should answer any questions you may have about them."

Haku took a few steps forward, looking at his audience from left to right. "First off, we'll start with the basics: what exactly is Pokémon Coordination?

"Well, simply put, Coordination is a contest of skill and ability, not unlike Battling, which we are all familiar with. But, where's battles test a trainer's bond with their Pokémon through combat and trial, Coordination seeks to test their creativity, boldness, and their overall artful nature."

He paused, and then continued. "Coordination Contests are, well, contests where Pokemon Coordinators pit themselves against one another in rounds in a tournament setting, judged on various standards by a series of judges. The victor in the final round is granted a Ribbon, which is in many ways like a Gym Badge; higher-ranking Contests will only accept Coordinators that have a certain number of Ribbons.

"The first part of a Contest is the Performance Stage; it involves showing off your Pokémon's attractiveness and how interesting they are. Trainers use various moves and combinations to bring out what makes their Pokémon appealing, and are given points based on how well they perform by the judges.

"After that, the Battle Stage begins. The coordinators are paired off and battle one another; unlike a normal battle, however, your Pokémon are judged on how clever or how uniquely they use their moves. An interesting and innovative move-set can bring out a higher score than just hammering away with power. The winners of each round are paired off until only one remains, who is given the Contest Ribbon.

"And that sums up Pokémon Coordination fairly nicely," Haku concluded, neatly folding his hands behind his back.

No sooner had he finished that the reporter-lady up front raised her hand. "Excuse me," she said before being called, "but I think it would be easier to understand what exactly you mean by 'appeal' and 'style' if you gave us some first-hand examples of them." She gave Haku a huge smile.

"I figured as much," the Gym Leader responded, holding out a hand; a flourish, and now he held a Pokéball that looked to be carved from ice. The top half of the ball had a lacy snowflake pattern across it. "Okay, now, for the next part of my lesson, I'd like to introduce you all to someone who is my dear friend and star Pokémon in battling and coordination both...it's Showtime, Elsa!"

He tossed the ball up, which opened with a cascade of iridescent blue snowflakes, and a Pokémon unlike any Sakura had ever seen floated down gracefully. It was white, and seemingly dressed in a kimono of sorts, with the 'sleeves' actually being its arms. The Pokémon had a feminine look to her, and was very ghostly, with no legs and a mask-like face.

"What's that Pokémon?" Sakura asked, taking out her Pokédex.

"Froslass, the Snow Land Pokémon," it explained. "Legends from mountainous regions claim that if a woman dies in the snow, she is reborn as Froslass. Froslass lurk about during blizzards and freeze any prey they come across, supposedly displaying their frozen bodies in their dins."

"Oh, she's so pretty," Ino cooed.

"Okay Elsa, are you ready to show off some appeal for these people?" Haku asked eagerly.

The Froslass floated up a bit, a mist starting to swirl around her. "Froslass," Elsa responded calmly, holding her hand out. A light snow started to fall down from the ceiling, swirling into a snowflake pattern between her arms.

"Okay, everyone, it's Showtime!"

0o0o0

"I gotta admit, these Pokécenter rooms are way nicer then when I was on my journey," Kushina observed, sitting down in a chair. The room was wallpapered in light blue and white, with the twin bunk beds set with plushy blankets in matching colors.

"Okay, now that we're not out in the open, can you please explain what you're doing here, Mom?" Naruto asked, crossing his arms. "You promised you wouldn't come here just to see me!"

"And I didn't," his mother responded simply. "I'm here for the Coordination Contest; I'm going to be a judge. Meeting you here was just an added bonus, Pumpkin."

"But you _told_ us to come here," Naruto said accusingly, "you **planned** to meet us here!"

Kushina stared at her son for a moment. "...and something's wrong with that? After all, there is a wonderful new gym here, and a neat contest you'll get to see in person." Then she added, under her breath, "and there's also that surprise I brought, but that's for later."

Fortunately, Naruto didn't seem to notice the last part, scowling and trying to think up a counter-argument.

"It's always good to see you, Aunty," Sasuke said, "Naruto's just being childish about the whole thing."

"I know, don't worry, Sasuke," Kushina shrugged.

"Kiss-up," Naruto hissed, elbowing the other boy.

His mother clapped her hands together, grabbing their attention. "Now its my turn to ask a few questions; first off, where are the girls? I wanted to meet them. Also, what's the deal with dog boy?" Kushina motioned at Kiba, who smirked in response. "A new member of your crew?"

"Nah, he's just Hinata's stalker," Sasuke said.

"Hey," Kiba barked, "you guys bumped into me! If anything, you're the stalkers!"

"You're bunking with us, even though we're not part of the same team," Sasuke pointed out, "that's just creepy."

"That's because we had to!' the other boy growled. "All the other rooms are taken; the nurse said everyone has to share with someone because it's so crowded!"

"He's a friend we met," Naruto explained. "As for the girls, they're at Gym taking a Pokémon Coordination class."

"Ah, that explains it," Kushina giggled as Sasuke and Kiba glowered at each other. "So, I guess that means they're entering the Coordination Contest."

"Well, Sakura is, for sure," Naruto said, "but, I'm not so sure about Hinata. She seemed real nervous at the idea."

"Hinata's the nice, shy girl with dark hair, right? Kushina asked.

Naruto nodded. "Eeyep; Sakura says she should enter, 'cause Hinata was saying how she liked watching her mother perform in contests when she was young, but Hinata's really shy, and I'm pretty sure she's the type to get stage fright. Sakura basically had to drag her along to get signed up…"

"Stage fright, eh?" Kushina mused, "I can relate to that- Not that_** I've**_ ever had it, mind you!" she added quickly, "It's just that, uh, your father used to get it in his younger years."

Naruto blinked, confused. "Dad suffered from stage fright? But, I thought you said he was very cool and collected as a boy, very polite and calm for his age?"

"Who's telling the story, me or you?" his mother demanded angrily. She paused, and calmed down before continuing. "Anyway, the point is, maybe I could help your friends out a bit. You know, give them a few pointers and tips."

"That sounds great!" Naruto cheered, "Sakura and Hinata would love the help, and it'd show them what real Pokémon Coordination is all about. You could help me figure out what I'm gonna do for the contest too."

"What, you're entering it?" Kushina asked, suddenly much more serious, "You never said that."

"Well, I suppose I'm not that serious about it," Naruto admitted. "But, it'll likely be fun, and a good way to hang with the girls; what's wrong?"

Kushina sighed. "Normally, nothing would be wrong, Sweetie. However, with the news coverage there, and with me there, I don't think entering would be a good idea. Aside from the fact your mother being one of the judges isn't fair, I think people would figure out we're related (having the same last name and facial features is a dead giveaway). And we know how your father feels about media and family."

Naruto winced. "Ouch, good point." Being the son of famous people did have disadvantages...especially when you were trying to make your own way, just like the rest of the family. "I suppose I can sit out this time."

His mother smiled and patted his head affectionate. "You're a good boy. And don't worry; there will be plenty of other contests for you to try out and see if coordination is right for you."

As Naruto smiled at his mother's words, Kiba looked at Akamaru in confusion. "Whoa, whoa, time out here," he said. "I get that your Mom's a famous Coordinator (and just plain hot), but what's with you guys and the TV phobia? Does your dad, like, run a drug cartel or is the Don of the Snake Clan, or something?"

The other three in the room chuckled.

"No, my husband's an international smuggler," Kushina joked. "_His ship made the Amegakure run in less than twelve parsecs_."

For a few seconds, Kiba just stared...then he bust into a fit of giggles. "Haha, your mom's awesome, Naruto," he finally said, realizing what film she was referencing.

"Tell me something I don't know," Naruto said smugly.

"Okay, enough of that," Kushina announced, clapping her hands and getting up. "Why don't we have some fun? You guys get bundled up and meet me outside, and I'll show you some tricks to battling in the ice and snow."

Sasuke nodded. "That sounds cool and useful."

"Yeah, but, I thought you didn't want people to know we're related and all that stuff?" Naruto asked. "You sure it a good idea to walk around in public together, Mom?"

"Ah, don't worry about that," Kushina snickered, pulling a Pokéball from her belt and twirling it between her fingers. "I've got a few tricks up my sleeve to take care of that."

0o0o0

"That was amazing!" Ino exclaimed, squeezing Taren tightly. "I still can't believe half the stuff that Froslass pulled off!"

The three girls were walking out of Winterborn Gym, lagging behind the rest of the crowd that was exiting the building.

"If that's what Pokémon Coordination is really like, maybe its not that bad after all," Sakura mused. "Still, I think battling's more my style, but, branching out and trying something new won't hurt." She looked over at Hinata. "I can see why your mother liked it so much."

"Thank you, Sakura," the shy girl said, smiling slightly.

"Still, we shouldn't get too worked up over that little show," Sakura went on, "after all, we're just starting out; there's no way we could pull anything off like Haku and his Froslass just did."

"Speak for yourself, Billboard Brow," Ino teased, "you haven't seen see what my team is capable of."

"Ino, if your head was any fatter, you wouldn't be able to get through the door," Sakura said dryly.

Before Ino could respond, Sakura's Pokénav dinged, indicating she had gotten a text.

"Oh, it's from Naruto," Sakura announced. "He wants us to meet him by the ice rink- _**only**_ you and me, Hinata," she added, smirking at Ino. "He says he's there's something he wants to show us."

Snorting, Ino flicked her head and started off in another direction. "Big deal; I was wanting to go check out outfits for the contests. See you later, Hinata, and you, Billboard Brow!"

Sakura made to say something back, but stopped when Hinata tapped her on the arm. "Don't, Sakura. It's not worth it." She waited for Sakura to relax before continuing. "Anyway, what do you think Naruto wants to show us?"

Sakura shrugged. "I don't know, but he seemed excited about it. Probably something like ice-skating, or maybe battling on ice, I guess. Come on, let's find out"


End file.
